Caeli et Inferno
by Jubalii
Summary: It's been years, and the Hellsing family has once again forgotten its greatest weapons. Now, the darkness that once brought about the end of an era is rising, and with it two beings who have slumbered for far too long.
1. The Coup

Caeli et Inferno (Heaven and Hell)

A Hellsing Fan fiction

_He walked down the hallway slowly, savoring the adrenaline rushing through his veins. He already knew that he had won. I'll go to hell, but they do say that hell is where the party's at, after all. The pounding footsteps of his younger cousin seemed to echo through the old manor, and he grinned as he imagined the way his life would be after the messy deed was over and done with. _

Fulton Abraham Hellsing ran up the stairs, panicked beyond his own senses. He thought he had been safe, but now he only chided himself_. You are an 8-year-old with an I.Q. of 160, and you can't even sense a family coup right under your nose! _He dove into a side room that probably hadn't seen the light of day for years.

Locking the door behind him, Fulton sank to the ground and began the tremendous task of pulling himself together long enough to make a plan. Looking up, he saw that he was in the East library, which his parents had used as a storage room for all the old texts before… Fulton wiped his eyes, unsettling his glasses in the process. _There's a time and place to cry, and now is definitely NOT the time._ He frowned as he scanned the bookshelves for some tome that would be thick enough to use as a weapon if the door didn't hold. _Ah, __The Unabridged Anthology of Abridged Anthologies__, perfect!_ As he pulled the enormous book from its resting place, the tiny boy became unbalanced and fell to the ground, bringing two shelves and a dozen books with him.

_ Frowning, he stopped and stood still, listening for the tell-tale signs of distress coming from down the hall. Where could that kid have gotten to? He couldn't have escaped the manor; they were on the third floor! Suddenly, a loud grunt echoed from above, accompanied by a sharp thud and several smaller thumps and clunks. He started to laugh, the sound eerie in the empty home. Now I've got you, boy…._

Fulton froze in place when he heard a sickening laughter coming from the floor beneath him. He gripped a book and took a deep breath, before glancing at the door to confirm that the door was indeed locked. He looked down at the mess he had created, and then at his hands. He was holding a notebook, slightly tearing one page in his white-knuckled grip. Letting go, he stared at the now slightly-wrinkled inscription on the page:

**Excita Volatilia Caeli et Inferno. Salutem expectat. **

Fulton stared at the Latin words until they swam before his eyes. He had only a rudimentary knowledge of the language, but he understood enough to get by on very elementary phrases. Even as danger lurked one floor below, the young genius's brain quickly became focused on the puzzle in front of him. _Hmm…Salutem…that is savior-no, salvation. Salvation is expected? Expectat…expectat…okay, leave that. That's the answer to the first part, the way it's written, I do believe. Now, even I know that Caeli et Inferno is Heaven and Hell, but Volatilia… volat means to soar. Volati is to say "a thief". The thieves of heaven and hell? Hmm, no, because thieves don't go to heaven. The blank of heaven and-_

BANGBANGBANG! The sound of the door echoed through the tiny room, shaking Fulton from his Latin thoughts. The door was holding up, but not for long! He crawled under the table and began to cower, holding the inscription to his chest as though it were his savior.

As Death itself banged at the locked door and shouted obscenities that no 8-year-old should hear, Fulton dropped the book to cover his ears against the pounding that was echoing in his head. He had to take his mind off that incessant banging; it was going to make him mad! Looking up to the bookcase, he frowned as he saw a hinge against the far corner. Once again loosing himself in his mind, he crawled back and studied the bookcase. _It's a secret book-oh, no, the bookcase has only been shoved in front of a door. To a closet, I sup-_

BAM! The door splintered at the hinges, and a hand began to push its way through. Vainly it tried to grab the lock, but fell short each time. The hand retreated and a face appeared instead. Fulton gulped.

"Cousin, err-how nice to see you?"

"Just wait until I get through this door, you little cu-"

Fulton pushed with all of his might against the bookcase. Even if it was a closet, maybe there was a gun inside, or at least another room would stand between him and death. His adrenaline filled muscles strained against the heavy wood. _It isn't working! Fulton, think! I don't-wait! We're going about this all wrong!_ Grabbing the frame of the shelf again, he focused his strength into pulling the shelf away from the wall. Only a few centimeters were needed before gravity took over and the entire shelf fell to the floor with a tremendous crash. Fulton froze in shock as the loud sound racked his eardrums with a sharp pain. Even his cousin stopped his ministrations on the door to peer through the cracks curiously. Shaking his head, Fulton grabbed the door and forced it open against the bottom of the bookcase. To his utter surprise, the door was neither another room nor a closet, but a steep set of stairs. _How about that…well, now's not the time to hesitate. _He ran through the door before doing an about-face. Jogging back to the table, he grabbed the notebook and fled again to the stairs, shutting the door behind him.

It was an attic. The boy looked at the boxes stacked to the ceiling. Some were labeled**Gunpowder**, some **Weaponry**. One tiny box in a corner was labeled **Wild Geese**, but Fulton was pretty sure that geese weren't up here. Curiously glancing around boxes and stepping over various knickknacks, the boy gazed toward the roof where dust was dancing in a tiny sliver of sunlight. He blinked and looked down before starting. _Is that? It is! A coffin! There's a coffin in the attic! _He looked warily at the object before the inquisitiveness of his mind won over his better judgment.

The coffin was not jet-black, but a light blue. A gold plate on the top held the imprint of a dove and the words **Avis Caeli**. Fulton smiled and looked at the notebook. _Of course. Volatilia. Birds. Call forth the birds of heaven and hell, salvation expectat. And this coffin is the Bird of Heaven. _He frowned, listening as something scraped against the door. Suddenly the attic door flung open and Fulton gasped. His tall and lanky cousin Melville stepped into the room, crucifix hanging from his neck and knife in his hand. He grinned maliciously at the young boy and waved. Fulton began to back away as Melville advanced.

"Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat-"

Fulton wasn't Catholic, but Aunt had summoned a priest to the coffins of his parents, and he recognized the requiem that his cousin was chanting. _I have to get away, I have to run! I have-oof! The coffin! I have to run! I have to run! I'm going to die-die-die-I don't wanna dieeee!" _

_He chanted the prayer for the dead, advancing closer and closer to the terrified brat. "Poor kid, having to go this way, but if he had been made heir, this would never've had to happen. Ha! He tripped over that coffin, dumbass brat. Some poor souls got his bones all jumbled now; come on kid, don't look like that. Don't cry. It'll only hurt for a while. And you may be lucky and go to Purgatory. After all, Protestants usually go straight to he-uh?"_

Fulton sat sprawled over the edge of the coffin. He had tripped and lost his shoe in the opening, as well as cut his foot on the old wood. He felt his blood drip down into the coffin and felt a bit of sympathy for whoever was inside, getting all dirty with his blood. Suddenly he felt something wet slither against his ankle and froze. He saw a similar look of confusion on Melville's face as he stared into the open lid. Suddenly his eyes became huge and he pointed into the coffin and let out a shriek. Fulton gasped and tried to get up, only to feel a pressure on his ankle and a quick pain. As quick as the pressure was there, it was gone again and he jerked his ankle free, only to trip over a box and throw his glasses sideways on his face. Whimpering, he curled into a ball and recollected his wits, only to stare at a very dusty pair of boots. Looking up, he saw a young woman staring at him curiously with bright red eyes. She looked…hungry. Fulton shivered and curled up into a tinier ball then he thought was possible. _This pretty lady is kinda creepy and I don-_HEY LADY WATCH IT!"

Fulton screamed when he saw Melville's knife slice across the lady's shoulder blade. She jerked and swung around, grabbing the boys arm.

"So you want to play, huh? I'm kind of hungry; I'm not in the mood to play with my food. Sorry."

Fulton watched as the woman grinned, her eyes beginning to glow an even darker crimson and her left arm becoming nothing but shadows. He watched as she ripped Melville's arm off and began to let his blood drip into her mouth. He watched Melville try to run; he ended up tripping over the coffin lid and making the gold inscription catch the light. He watched until the screams became gurgles, then he closed his eyes and fell into the blessed darkness.


	2. And It Begins

I forgot last time. I don't own Hellsing. I just bought the manga. (Sad face…) But I do own Fulton. I'd be happy to lend him out sometime ^^

Authors Note: (whilst blushing furiously from behind her scarf)

I'm so glad that many people favorite-d and reviewed this! I was having a rough day at work, when I got onto my email and saw so many lovely reviews! (It made my day SO much better. Even customer complaints couldn't bring me down.) In other words, I'm very grateful to everyone who even read the first chapter, and I promise to try my hardest to continue to meet your expectations! Also, some of you already guessed that I'm keeping with the theme of birds. Even Fulton means "Bird catcher's settlement" in Old English. I thought that'd be a good name for the heir to the family that "caught" the Bird of Hermes. (And by god, if someone can name a girl Integra, they'd probably name a boy Fulton. Weird family.)

* * *

Fulton woke, disoriented, to the soft sounds of singing. He turned onto his side and relished in the slightly cool feeling of a hand running through his hair. The song was unfamiliar, but it was apparently some sort of lullaby. He winced slightly as the voice hit a high note that was quite off-key.

_Little brother, dear_

_Little brother, dear_

_The night is very near._

He smiled and curled closer to the cool hand, basking in the soft petting like a kitten. _Mother._ He relaxed further and allowed all his stress to float away. The horrors of the past day flew far from his mind as he allowed his mother to-wait. He stiffened as the memory of the funeral, the chase, and Melville came flooding back into him. As his senses began to return, the thick smell of rust combined with an odor of sweat and something musty created a rancid perfume that made him gag. He pushed away the hand, trying to get away from the offending smell. As a result, he fell off of something and into a pile of sticky mess.

Fulton finally opened his eyes, only to see the empty stare of what was once his turncoat of a cousin. The sticky mess was really a neat, orderly pile of intestines and leftover skin. Blood coated the floor and walls, with marks running clean through, as though someone had went over and…_licked it_. Shocked and confused, Fulton felt his mind begin to shut down against the grotesque scene. He felt himself shaking and closed his eyes, willing his mind to calm down and think things through rationally; a trick his father had taught him when the boy genius' mind ran too fast and became overwhelmed. He took three deep breaths, and opened his eyes, straightening up with whatever dignity he had left. He glanced at the shadow on the wall and ran.

He didn't even think about why he was running, only that there was a monster behind him in that dark, damp attic and he wasn't going to be saved only to become a meal. He didn't stop to second guess himself, only slowing down to lock the attic door back before jumping over books to reach the splintered door. He looked down into his bloodstained hands, stopping in surprise to stare at his right hand. Amazingly, he was still holding the torn page with the inscription. _Salvation, hah! Fat lot of good salvation did me right now! That thing is after me! _He opened his hand and let the torn fragment drift to the floor. Hearing footsteps on the attic stairs, he stopped hesitating and began to tear frantically at the remains of the door, finally getting it open enough to slip through. He ran haphazardly through the halls until he reached his father's office.

He hid under the desk, sandwiched between the chair and the backboard, and tried to even his breathing. He finally was able to sit quietly, and listen for any signs of that monster coming for him. He absentmindedly ran his hand through his hair, thinking about the way he awoke. The monster had to have had him sitting in its lap, stroking it. _It was comforting, motherly. And it was singing. But why? I was vulnerable and unconscious. Why didn't it just eat me and be done with it? Maybe it was full. Maybe it was going to save me for a midnight snack. Maybe-_

"Maybe blood tastes better when it's full of adrenaline?"

Fulton shrieked and shot up, banging his head on the desk. He moaned and clutched his head in his hands, freezing when two strong arms reached under the desk and pulled him up, while a shadow moved the chair aside. He closed his eyes, and felt himself being put into the chair. He opened them and refused to look ahead. He looked at his lap instead, noting absentmindedly how small he looked in his father's chair.

Eyes were boring into him from all angles. He couldn't help but shift uncomfortably under the scrutiny. He finally glanced up to see the monster. It hadn't changed; it was still in the form of a young lady. The lady cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I'm in the form of a young lady. I am one, Sir," she said evenly.

Fulton jumped slightly. _It couldn't… could it?_

"C-can you… read my thoughts?" he questioned hesitantly.

"Of course I can. You are my new commander," she stated as if he had asked her about the weather. The boy frowned, pulled his glasses off, and cleaned the drops of dried gore off the lenses. He placed them back on the end of his nose before crossing his legs.

"I've come to the conclusion: I'm mad as a hatter."

A loud screech of laughter came from this statement, and he found himself blushing as the lady doubled over, holding her stomach. He waited until the stream turned into a steady hiccupping of giggles and snorts before speaking again.

"I don't see what's funny."

"You're funny, Sir. You think that you're mad," she blurted out between giggles.

"I am not! I'm really mad! I killed Melville and couldn't handle it, so I created you!" he declared, slightly hurt that his own imagination was laughing at him. The lady straightened up and glared at him.

"No, I killed that boy. Your blood was enough to wake me. One drop of virgin blood; that's all I needed," she purred as her eyes glinted red. Fulton cowered in his seat, still wary of the young woman. He frowned and tried to fit the pieces together in his mind. _I'm a genius, but even this puzzle seems too impossible. I suppose I'm thinking far too laterally to be considered mad, but… I saw-I don't even want to think about what it was I saw! W-who is this woman? _What_ is she?_

"I am Seras Victoria, and I am a Draculina." She straightened up proudly, practically boasting. Fulton snorted.

"I'm sorry, but-a Draculina? You mean, like Dracula? All Transylvanian and stuff? Oh, boy!" he crowed. _That's just too silly! I must be dreaming! I mean, what's a Dracu-lina? Just... just…._he found himself doubled over this time, before arching his back as waves of sudden mirth flooded his senses.

"Let me get the garlic for this one! I mean… I mean… Someone call the butcher; I'm gonna need a big _stake_! I think that I-"he gasped as he doubled over, this time from the pain. His head felt like it was going to bust into pieces, like someone had clamped their hand over his brain and was slowly pressing. Through the torrential agony, he heard a voice echoing loudly through his head: _This is no laughing matter, boy. Besides, straighten up and quiet that racket. You're a true English gent, are you not? _The voice went on mockingly, thrust into every corner of his mind.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whimpered as he rocked in his seat, trying to ease his suffering. As quickly as it had come, the pain stopped, leaving Fulton with a wave of relief. The pain eased down to an echo, and the voice came again from outside his mind.

"Apology accepted, Sir. I trust we won't have to repeat this lesson again. I do hate it when I have to make children suffer."

He nodded, unable to speak. He sat in silence for a moment, before the voice beckoned again.

"Sir, I've been in that coffin going on a hundred years now. I really would like a hot bath. It's late; I trust that you'll find your own bed?"

He curled into a tighter ball, unresponsive. He heard her sigh, then _something_ swept through his mind unbidden and he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

So that's that! Seras is kinda mean now. But then again, something major has happened since the days of Integra Hellsing; what in the world could have turned her so… unstable? Hmm… well, next time: We'll help Fulton find out what it really means to be a son of Hellsing. Until then!


	3. Conversations with Vampires

**A Public Service announcement from Jubalii**: Once again, thanks to everyone who favorited/reviewed! You guys make me so happy, and I'm trying my best to respond to each of you in kind. I've been asked a couple times in both reviews and PMs about my update schedule**. I promise that I will try my hardest to update once a week **_**at least.**_ But usually, after writing and review, I post the next chapter almost immediately. So it really depends on the length of the chapter, the amount of dialogue, etc.

(_Stares at mob of fans chanting "We want Alucard! We want Alucard!"_) I know, I know! You want Alucard, but it's going to be another 2 chapters (this one and the next) before he makes an appearance. Seras wants to see him too, but she's still a Police Girl at heart, so she's going to be following the rules. (_Sighs toward disgruntled fans_) I'm sorry, but we have to build up to it. Good things come to those who wait, right?)

* * *

Fulton stared at the ceiling to his bedroom. He had woken from a restful sleep, only to find himself cleaned up, in his jams, and in the bed, with his glasses folded neatly on the nightstand, next to the old journal he had found in the library. He had originally thought the whole ordeal was one horrible nightmare, before he saw the note. Slipping his glasses on, he had read the elegant, albeit slightly cramped, script:

_Dear Sir, _

_As you already know, you're clean and well rested. It will probably be daytime by the time you read this, and I will be asleep in my coffin. I've taken the liberty of moving my coffin back to my old room, which now seems to be some sort of storage center. All the boxes are in the hall, so after I feed tonight we can discuss where to move them. We'll also discuss where to go from here, in terms of getting me blood and you centered in the "family business", so to speak. But all that can wait. I hope you have a pleasant day. _

_Sincerely, Seras._

_P.S.: Please don't try running away. I'd hate to have to chase you down at nightfall. You can't take much more stress, Sir. Also, please begin reading that journal. It may help you in the coming days. It belonged to your grandfather, great-grandfather, and even your great-great-grandmother. _

_S.V._

And so he didn't try to run, although that idea had been on his mind. He didn't even get out of bed, although he was hungry and needed to use the bathroom. He simply lay there and looked at the ceiling.

After a while, he became bored. He was about to get out of bed before he felt a tiny tug at the back of his mind. He knew, almost instinctively, that it was that lady… Seras. He tried to tune out everything and focus on where the tug came from. It was Seras, and he immediately was flooded with slow, even waves. _Sleep waves, _he thought. He was amazed at the evenness of them, and the occasional bump that separated the different sleep stages. _Why, if only the scientists could feel this! _With his curiosity taking over, he tried to _push_ his mind into hers, if only to feel the waves more strongly. However, his mind came up against an imaginary wall of some sorts, keeping him away from the Draculina's mind. He pushed against the mental wall in vain, already beginning to grow tired from the exertion on his mind. He gave one final push off of the wall, using it as a mental springboard in order to fully come back to his own head. He slumped against his sheets, a fine layer of sweat over his forehead as he panted softly. _I shouldn't have gone so far so quickly. I have a problem with doing that lately, it seems._ He felt a soft tug on his own mind, and a sleepy voice echoed in his head. _What's the matter, Sir? _

He frowned.

"_I didn't mean to wake you, I only was looking at your mind."_ He thought, knowing that she would hear him.

"_Ah, I see. I'm glad you're finally getting used to this, Sir. I'll see you in the evening. Good day." _And with that, he r mind retreated from his. He lay still until he felt the waves slowly come rolling again, before pushing her out of his mind gently and rolling out of bed. He really was hungry.

Fulton spent the day as productively as an 8-year-old could. He ate a peanut-butter sandwich for lunch, before finally dressing and going to his room. He played with his toys for a while, and then walked around until he found the tale-tale stack of boxes that advertised Sera's room. They were stacked neatly next to one of the basement doors, and he surveyed them before heading back upstairs. He walked to his room to grab the journal, then went to the main library and sat down to read.

At exactly 6:00 on the dot, he felt Seras awaken and vanish almost instantly. He sat confused for a minute, reaching out for her with his mind, but she was nowhere to be found. He finally decided that she didn't want to be found, and went back to the writings of one Sir Integra Hellsing, who lived during the time of the Millennium attack on English soil. It was an interesting read, indeed, as she summed up the contents of her life within the journal, making various references in the beginning (when she was 12-years-old) to a Walter, and a vampire that only carried the letter "A" for a name, as he was supposed to be a secret. Perhaps he was . He read the story like a fairy tale, indulging in the ramblings and musings of a girl-turned-woman.

He followed the plot well, until it suddenly skipped a few months. Suddenly, there was Sera's name on the page. He shifted in his chair and pushed up his glasses, eager to learn about the strange monster he'd made the acquaintance of against his will. His ancestor spoke of her anger toward "A", how Walter had to physically hold her back from shooting "A", how Seras… cried and begged forgiveness the entire way home? That was _not _the same woman who mentally crushed his brains out last night. He was about to read further when Seras once again opened her mind, and he instead bookmarked his place and sat patiently, waiting for her to come to him.

She finally came, this time through the door like a normal person. He was able to fully get a look at her, now that she wasn't covered in sweat, dirt, and blood. She was pale, with short blond hair and red eyes. She wore a blue pinstripe suit, fitted almost perfectly to her body. A blue fedora sat lightly on her hair, pushed down to _almost_ cover her eyes. It had two tiny feathers in the light blue ribbon; one white, one black. On her lapel was a tarnished pin of a bird in flight. She also wore glasses now, of the strangest kind. They were tiny, and sat perched on her nose, so she could look over them if she wanted too. The lenses were not clear; instead, they were a murky gray-blue.

_All in all, it fits her quite well,_ Fulton thought, impressed. He watched warily as Seras walked around to sit in a chair opposite him, before taking her glasses off and setting them, and her hat, on the table. She smiled sweetly, before opening her eyes and taking the boy in. _She looks almost… innocent. Happy, it seems._ He cleared his throat.

"Um-are you well rested, Miss Victoria?" he asked softly, unsure of what to call her.

"Please, call me Seras. And yes, I am. I really needed that food, and the sleep. Natural sleep is so much better than spellbound sleep. Thanks for asking! Now, about those boxes…"

Fulton jumped.

"Oh, of course! I went and looked at them. They can be fitted into the attic, I'm sure. You can have whatever you want in that room, seeing as it was yours long before I was ever around."

Seras smiled, and Fulton cringed at the glint of fang. She tapped the journal lightly with one finger.

"So, you took my advice and began to read the book? Good! It makes my job a lot easier. Where have you gotten to?"

"Um, I've gotten to the part where you cried all night when you first met Integra Hellsing. Excuse me, but who is A?" Fulton couldn't help but ask.

"A" is none of your business." she snapped sharply. "Not until you've read the whole book. Not until you're older. Now, enough about the journal. We have time to talk about that later. Tomorrow, we're going to have to get a butler, some soldiers, and pre-order at least 3 cartons of blood for me-"Seras mused as she grabbed a scrap piece of paper to write down the list.

"Wait, wait-what are we doing? Why do we need that stuff-why "we"? You're not staying with me." Fulton leaned back in his seat, away from the demanding Draculina, who didn't spare him a second glance until the end of his tirade. He grimaced and shrunk into the chair as she leaned over the table, grinning widely. Her breath smelled like old blood.

"Oh, yes; I am staying. You are going to undo the mistakes of your ancestors. _You _will build the Hellsing Empire back to its former glory," she sneered, her voice oozing a mixture of pride and intimidation.

"I don't know how to lead an empire…"he whimpered, pushing himself so far into his seat that his head slumped against his chest.

"That's why I'm going to teach you, silly boy." She grinned wider and ruffled his hair with her shadow-arm. "Just think of me as an older sister of sorts."

* * *

And that's that! So now Fulton and Seras are going to rebuild the Hellsing name to what it once was. But that's not going to be easy. What's to come? Tune in and find out!


	4. An Enemy Appears!

**Now, Jubalii sings:** If I was a rich girl, I'd own Hellsing. But I don't. (Shrugs)

* * *

_Sister? Hah! More like Slave-driver!_

12-year-old Fulton Abraham Hellsing pushed his well-kept hair out of his eyes and tried to wipe the sweat off of his glasses. Standing in formal wear on a bright summer's day was _not _the boy's ideal way to spend the evening. However, _Sister Dearest_ insisted upon him holding a Summer Gala, and here he was, about to have his picture made underneath the canopy at the front gate. Winston, the butler, held the camera steady and motioned toward the woman standing behind his young master.

"Miss Seras, please! Push your hat up, even if only a little! I need to be able to see your face in the picture!"

The Draculina laughed and obeyed, trying to keep most of her face out of the sun. Fulton knew that the sun wouldn't kill his "Sister", but she didn't really enjoy staying out in the broad daylight for too long. After the picture, he knew that she would excuse herself and go to bed, awaiting the cool darkness of the night. She stepped closer to Fulton and placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. He cursed silently that he was still so small. Seras towered over him, and she was the smallest in the whole manor! Her hand tightened on his shoulder slightly as Winston counted, forcing Fulton to pay attention and stand straight, with a smile. The bright flash blinded his eyes for moment, and then Winston came over to show him the picture. Seras' voice slipped through his head as she went through a portal, assuring him that she was only a call away if needed.

Fulton had never thought about the worrisome future as the heir to Hellsing when he was 8. Now, however, was a different story, and he understood the danger all too well. More than once, he had had his life flash before his eyes before being rescued by Seras.

And he wasn't ignorant about the power he wielded by having a Draculina in the manor, either. He had read the journal, and had parts filled in by Seras that weren't included in the secret manuscript; meant only for Hellsing eyes. He wielded the ultimate authority over mankind: A demonic creature of the night with an eternal thirst and powers beyond all belief. And Seras wasn't even the strongest; or so he had been told. The mysterious Bird of Hermes (who Seras had mentioned in passing but never discussed openly as she did so many other things) was the most powerful being in all of Christendom and even had dark powers that extended beyond the grave.

However, the Bird of Hermes was not here. The only information that he had ever gotten from Seras was that the Bird of Hermes had been vanquished, along with his servant, when his great-grandfather Enoch Hellsing had become afraid of their power, should the seals ever break. As she told him this, he had stared at the Hellsing seals, a dark brand of tattoos, on her own hands. They always showed, no matter how many different gloves she wore over them. Once, in a rare quiet moment, he had held her hand and touched the seal gingerly.

"Sister, do they hurt?" she didn't need to ask what he was talking about. He felt her stare, but didn't meet her eyes.

"It did… when they put them on. Afterwards, it didn't hurt unless I tried to defy my Master, or the current Heir."

Seals aside, Seras never offered any information on the Bird of Hermes. He often tried to pry it out of her, only to have his psyche clamped down on, or mental barriers thrust into his brain. The pain was enough to make him forget any question he ever wanted to ask.

Fulton glanced up from his musings to find that the Gala was already in full swing. He decided that if he wasn't social, he'd pay for it later from Seras; so he began to mingle, talking to the guests and enduring another socially awkward gathering of people much older than himself. After a while, he made himself scarce over near an old tree. He smiled as Winston approached him with a glass of punch.

"Enjoying ourselves, Sir?" the butler teased.

"Oh, of course, Winston. Seras was right, I _always_ give the best parties," he retorted sarcastically. The butler laughed and turned as old Widow March called for someone to bring her a napkin. Fulton watched Winston gracefully move through the crowd.

Watching Winston, one would think that the 29-year-old man was born to be a butler. Full of poise and a good English attitude, any event that transpired was immediately dealt with, from dropped kerchiefs to an absence of hors d'oeuvres at the buffet table. However, everyone at the Hellsing manor knew that Winston was not only an excellent butler, but one hell of a marksman. Winston could wield anything from a handgun to a sniper rifle with ease, making him a valuable asset to the team of guardians around the young heir. Not only that, his infallible attitude had won over the hearts of the many female soldiers, and the respect of the males.

Even Seras herself was friendly towards the butler. They often played together in the target yard. Fulton loved to watch them go: Winston with his guns of choice firing rounds everywhere at once, and Seras moving faster than the human eye; once here, once there, doing a somersault in mid-air, sliding on the ground like a baseball player, and even throwing herself into the way of the bullets, only to dodge at the last possible millisecond. Once, Winston even grazed her glasses, breaking one lens in two. This earned him the respect of the Draculina, plus a hefty bill to repair custom-designed glasses. Fulton was surprised that she wasn't angrier at the broken glasses. However, as time went on, he had begun to realize how fragile, how simply _strange_, her mind was. She could be happy and joking with Winston or the soldiers one moment, only to throw a chair through a window the next from rage. She could be praising Fulton for his obedience and maturity one second, and punishing him for being childish within the same moment. He quickly learned the rules about where and when to push his Draculina's patience, if only for his own mental well-being.

_Inside the Hellsing Summer Gala, a pair of young men stopped their chatting to stare at the young boy sitting alone under a tree with a glass of punch. They stood side-by-side, exact copies of one another, and marked every move the boy made. They turned to watch the Servant-Man, walking along with a tray of food. They sorted the information and sent it mentally to their Mistress, who cooed with glee at the sight. _

_The Mistress clapped her hands and covered her mouth as giggles escaped. Her Servants were human zombies with no will of their own, and they were fitting in just perfectly with the other human meat-bags. The plan wasn't ready to be put into action yet; no. The boy was still much too young. However, she had waited this long; what was another couple of years to her? She called mentally for her Servants to return to her. As an afterthought, she told them to bring that young lady over by the columns. She was getting hungry. _

* * *

(Raises hands) I'm done. For tonight, anyway. I know you've got questions, I know.

Who is the Mystery Mistress?

Why does Seras have mental-awkwardness?

Why is Fulton so nerdy?

Where the hell is Alucard?

All will be revealed next chapter, O Impatient Ones. Don't fret; my scarf and I will come through for you. I promise. **Unless my brain gives out from lack of Dr. Pepper first.**


	5. Tales of the Past

Authors note: Hear ye, Hear ye! This is the chapter you've all been waiting for! Now, we begin to learn the answers to all your little questions.

**If I owned Hellsing, I wouldn't be depending on Student loans. **

* * *

The faded picture shows a bright summer's day. A pair stands underneath a canopy. The young boy is stiff, with a forced smile. His wavy, dirty-blond hair sits greased against his scalp, but a few strands of misbehaving bangs fall forward over his glasses. His greed suit is starched and looks very uncomfortable. The young woman standing behind him sports a pinstripe suit, with a hat so low on her face that her eyes are cast into shadow. One hand rests on the boys shoulder. Her smile looks almost malicious.

The picture is set in a pristine wooden frame on a wall in the main office. The not-so-young-anymore boy stared at it-almost fondly-as he patiently waited for the aging butler to finish dusting the desk.

"Almost done there, Winston?" he teased. He often accuses the poor 37-year-old butler of slowing down in his "old age". It was no secret in the Hellsing manor that Winston had a hell of a vain streak when it came to performance.

"I'm finishing right now, Sir. Are you going to be staying up late? I'll leave the hall lamps on if you are." Winston knew the young Sir Hellsing had adopted not only the sleep schedule of his vampire servant, but also the habit of not sleeping at all for days on end during stressful times.

"No, Winston, that's fine. I'm only going to be talking to Seras for a moment, and then I'll be up to bed as well."

"Very good then. Good night, Sir."

"G'night," he threw back absentmindedly, turning back toward the picture on the wall. It was strange to think that eight whole years had passed. No longer was he the shy little boy that had inherited a fortune and a name overnight. Now he was strong and sure of himself. _I've grown well, if I do say so myself. _

"You have grown well, Sir."

Fulton jumped and turned around to see his "sister" in her usual attire sitting on the edge of his desk.

"Seras _please_ don't scare me like that! Do you always have to read my mind?" he snapped, irritated at the Draculina's habit of invading his personal thoughts without any prior notice.

"Of course. You'd never tell me what you're thinking otherwise, Sir. If you've not grown well, I've aged a day and a half."

Fulton snickered. Of course Seras didn't age at all, but then again, he had never had any vampire to compare her to, so he guessed it was a standard they all lived by. It was rather eerie to watch himself grow taller and broader than her, while she remained the gorgeous, child-like seductress.

He grinned as he remembered times throughout the years where her amazing ability to seduce any man (and many women) had come in handy over the years. He himself-during that awkward phase of puberty where he wasn't sure who he was, or even _what_ he was-had felt some sort of feelings for Seras. In retrospect, she probably had read his mind and known about them, but if she had, she had said nothing about it. It wasn't a big deal anyway; it had taken him only a few months to grow out of his infatuation. And with that had come a newfound sense of power brewing under their mental bond. He clearly remembered the first time he had given the Draculina a specific order, without her prompting him to do so.

Seras had never hidden the fact that she was his servant, bound to the Hellsing family by the runes on her hands. However, in his youth he had always looked up to her as an authority figure, too powerful for him to control on his own. She praised and punished him; comforted and tortured him. She became his "sister", a maternal and female figure that dominated his childhood. It wasn't until he was 16 before the power balance began to shift, with him becoming more and more assertive, and her letting him take over. Of course, he wasn't allowed to overstep certain boundaries; the difference being that this time, he was warned with a steady pressure on his mind before he went too far. When he was still young, he tested that boundary only once, before a pain unlike any punishment Seras had ever bestowed on him before immediately set him against doing anything like that ever again. Now, at 20, she usually let him make the decisions, although she was always there with helpful advice if need be.

The years had changed Seras, too. Fulton had only recently begun to take heavy notice. In the beginning of their relationship, Seras had been demanding, steadfast, and borderline-sadistic to the boy. Looking back, Fulton often wondered if that had been an act of kindness on her part. As the leader of the New Hellsing Organization, Fulton often had to make cruel, painful decisions. He couldn't allow his feelings to get in the way of his judgment. If he had been raised in protection, love, and gentleness, he was certain he would have cracked long ago under the pressure of the job. However, as he grew, Seras softened considerably, even cracking jokes and telling stories to the young boy. But he also noticed her growing distant. Oftentimes, he found her simply staring at the moon, touching the faded bird pin she always wore. Her mental barriers were often up when she did this; Fulton wondered if she was thinking of the past.

He wasn't really sure how Seras ended up in a coffin, locked under a powerful sleeping spell. The last entry of her in the journal was part of his great-grandfather's writings. It simply talked about how Seras had gotten cut clean in half on a mission, and the man's poor wife fainted when "A" walked in the door carrying her upper half, with a disembodied pair of legs in hot pursuit. It stated that it took a full 3 hours for her to heal, even with the help of virgin blood. After that, all talk of vampires disappear, with only a minor mention about the Hellsing organization's involvement in the Millennium War being recognized in a statue at London by the Queen herself. Then, the journal simply ends, with a torn page from many years ago, where a frightened boy had clung to the last hope he could find.

Fulton sighed and shook his head. _I really need something to take my mind off of these thoughts._

"Seras, how old were you again, when you were turned?" he asked nonchalantly. The vampire raised an eyebrow at him, and he felt her mind briefly search his before she took off her hat and glasses, placing them on her lap.

"I was only a year younger than you. Nineteen." She answered.

"And… you immediately started working for Integra Hellsing, right?" he prompted.

"You've already heard this story before, Sir," she responded in a voice that meant she wasn't really in the mood to tell stories. Fulton opened his mouth to ask further, but the immediate mental pressure forced him to think otherwise. He strode over to the desk and sat in the chair, leaning back and lacing his fingers. He looked Seras dead on; green eyes meeting red eyes. Both were serious as they had a small stare-down. Fulton felt her sweeping his mind, and quickly raised his own weak mental barrier as a plea for her to not pry. He felt her give in and retreat. He opened his mouth and began to speak; knowing the outcome probably wasn't going to be good.

"Seras, I order you to tell me about "A"," he stated in his most mature, no-nonsense voice. "I refuse to take no for an answer." He added as an afterthought. He watched as her white face paled even further, before filling with blood as she became angry. It took all he had not to back down into the chair, away from her wrath.

"I have told you before, _Sir_, "A" is a Hellsing secret, and we will neither summon nor speak of him until the exceptions have been met as stated by your bastard of an ancestor, Enoch." She ground out between clenched teeth. It was an answer, but not the one he wanted.

"Fine, we'll compromise. Seras, from the time I began to ask about this "A" character, you've only told me "exceptions, exceptions, my great-grandfather was evil and you hate him". I command that if you won't tell me about him; tell me what the exceptions are. I'll leave you alone then." He said with an air of finality. _Take it or leave it, Sister, _he whispered mentally. She frowned, then sighed and placed her hat and glasses back on her head. She turned to him and held up her hands in defeat. Pursing her lips, she began to speak.

"Listen once, Sir; I'm not going to say it again. Your great-grandfather-the simpleton that single-handedly brought down the Hellsing organization-was afraid of the power of Hellsing's vampires. There was an… accident of sorts, and he ordered that Hellsing as we knew it be destroyed, and turned instead into a soldier-for-hire company that supplied the Crown with well-trained men for cheap. He destroyed almost all of the evidence that the "old" Hellsing ever existed, and left only the journal. He got me under a spell, and told me that if I were to ever be awakened by the heir to the Hellsing family, I could roam as free as I was before." At this she stared down at the runes, making it quite clear that she did _not_ think she was free at all. "Inside the journal was to be an inscription, telling the Hellsing family where help was if they needed it. _**Excita Volatilia Caeli et Inferno. Salutem expectat. **_"Call forth the birds of Heaven and Hell. Salvation awaits." I was given the orders that if I was to be freed, I would assess the situation, and act accordingly with the best wishes of the Hellsing heir at heart. I have done that. I've raised you, I've helped you turn the Hellsing Organization back on its feet, and I've protected you from any and all threats."

Fulton nodded. All of this he knew, but for once the stone-hearted Seras seemed like she needed affirmation that her actions over the past years were in the right.

"You have, Seras. I'd have never made it without you." He spoke truthfully, putting all of his gratitude into his words.

She cleared her throat and nodded before continuing.

"Of course, my Master, the bird of Hell, would be the first thing I would want to go see about. However," she gulped, and he felt a pang of sorrow slip through her mental barrier, "that bastard Enoch forbid me from raising him. The only way I will ever be able to raise the Bird of Hell is if something comes to threaten you that is too big for me to handle on my own. Then, and only then, am I allowed to summon his destructive power back to Earth once more."

Fulton furrowed his brow. Her Master didn't seem like a very nice person to be around.

"Seras, if this Bird of Hell is so destructive and evil that they let _you_ out before it, why in the world would you want to summon it again? I mean, do you hate the world that much?" he asked.

"Don't talk of things you have no knowledge of," was the only answer he got. "If you'll excuse me, Sir; it's almost sunrise and I'm tired from my mission." She turned to walk to the door. Fulton's mind began to think over what he just heard. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he began making connections to the journal._ Something _was beginning to add up; what she said sounded like something he had heard before from her…. He started, sitting straight in his chair. He called her name and she paused at the door, turning slightly in affirmation.

"Seras, was your master, was A the-the Bird of Hermes?" he whispered, half-fearing the answer. Seras turned and exited the room, leaving behind only silence to keep the young man company.

* * *

_**Authors note**_: I didn't lie! I didn't lie! I said Alucard would show up, and he did. In conversation. *insert trollface* But now we know that Seras and her Master were locked away because of something they did, that was an accident in Seras' eyes.  
I think Enoch knew pretty well that when Seras woke up, she'd go straight to Alucard. He was like the rest of us, wondering if their relationship was even platonic. He also knew that she hadn't drank _**the**_ blood yet, so her powers wouldn't be strong enough against everything that could happen. So she gets a way out, if only she could disobey her commands! NUUU~  
(But Bethany, what of our mystery villain?) Don't worry; she'll be coming _very_ soon. *rubs hands* I do so enjoy the light torture of making ya'll suffer in suspense.


	6. Willa

_(Several people stand in an empty room. All of them wear different versions of scarves. At the head stands a girl with scarf that has little kittens embroidered on the ends. One holds a Fulton plushie and sighs happily. Another taps their foot impatiently, looking at their watch. One is actually asleep standing up. Finally a girl known as "The Author" walks into the room, her scarf getting caught in the door and almost chokes her. After getting help to free herself, she stands and raises her hands. The room falls silent. She opens her mouth, and everyone leans forward to hear.)  
__**"My Impatient Ones! I have an important announcement! I do not own Hellsing!"  
**__(The people groan. The cat-scarfed girl facepalms. The lazy guy wakes up.)  
__**"Also! The CrimsonF*cker has arrived!"  
**__(Loud cheers erupt from the people. The Author smiles and exits the room.)_

* * *

Seras didn't speak to Fulton the entire week after their conversation in the office. She seemed to be depressed, walking around in a slump, and hiding herself so that she could stare at the moon. Her mission reports- when she could be roused from her coffin to _do _any missions- were brought in by Winston. Winston himself wasn't helping, instead constantly badgering the young Sir Hellsing to go talk to the vampire. Fulton tried to curb his impatience towards the butler; he knew that Winston had a soft spot for Seras, and he wasn't the only one. The entire manor had sunk into dampened spirits when the normally energetic Draculina had secluded herself. It was as if the entire household depended on the fedora-clad woman to lift them up and instill the energy to fight for both Crown and Christendom.

Finally tiring of the melodramatic atmosphere, the young Hellsing insisted that he and Winston were to go to the royal palace. An invitation had been sent to the manor to have Fulton engage in a private audience with the Queen, and such invitations could not be ignored. However, usually Seras would have stepped up as his bodyguard. As it was, Winston had accepted, looking forward to a trip to the palace to see how well Her Majesty's servants kept the chambers and Seras had apparently trusted Fulton's judgment, that the butler was all the protection he'd need. She barely acknowledged Winston's muffled message through the coffin, only saying her usual reminder that she was only a call away.

Fulton and Winston decided to take a car trip to London, enjoying the brilliant English countryside. Both men were immediately in higher spirits after leaving the gloomy manor, and Fulton enjoyed the private conversations he held with his butler. Not only being his closest friend (besides Seras, if you could count her as a _friend_), Winston was also like an older brother to the young Hellsing. He was wise enough to give advice and often made Fulton double over with laughter at his stories of his time in Russia as a member of the English army.

"Do you think Seras will eventually snap out of whatever she's going through?" Fulton asked the older man as he stared at the meadows rolling by through the window.

"I'm not exactly sure, Sir. You or I'd probably be able to help her, if she'd talk about what's bothering her. She's been like this for almost a week now," the man replied hesitantly.

"I think it's because of what I talked about with her, that night I stayed behind in the office."

Winston glanced at Fulton through the review mirror. "What did you talk about, Sir?" he tried to ask nonchalantly, but the younger man saw the curiosity burning in his eyes.

Fulton opened his mouth, than shut it. _Secret…_ he thought. He opened it again, staring out the window once more and trying to hide his eyes.

"It's a secret, but she didn't want to talk about it and I didn't give her an option. I think that our conversation about her… secrets brought up some bad memories." He said, trying to say as much as possible without giving away any information. The butler picked up on the subtle cue not to pry, and shrugged before turning his attention back to the road.

"Well, Sir, it seems to me that she's simply going to have to either bury the memories again or deal with them. It's hard to imagine the woman's mind, I'm afraid. They just overthink things sometimes." Noticing his passenger's slightly worried expression, the butler spoke quickly. "Now, now; I wouldn't worry Sir. Miss Victoria is quite old, she's probably seen more than her fair share. She'd never let something as silly as a few old _feelings _bog her down for more than a while. Just you wait; she'll be back up and scaring the soldiers again in no time."

Fulton sighed and shook his head. The one thing that he was happy about was that since Seras had become anti-social, all of his soldiers had breathed easier. Now they could go around without being frightened by a pair of arms floating through the wall, not to mention the "shower incidents". He was tired of talking through all of the harassment claims put on his prankster of a servant, and the prices of the settlements had really stretched the budget thin.

He didn't have more time to ponder, though, as they arrived at the castle. Winston gave specific instructions to the valet concerning the car as Fulton gazed up at the now familiar castle before him. A servant came up and bowed deeply to him.

"Ah, you must be the young Sir Hellsing? Please, come this way. My mistress is expecting you." He smiled kindly and waved his arm, turning to walk across the grounds. Fulton straightened his tie and followed with Winston in pursuit. The servant led them to a side door before another servant met them. _Oh, they must be twins,_ Fulton thought as he stared at the two men. They were like copies of each other, from the short black hair to the stiff posture. The twins turned and spoke in unison.

"Yes, She is very excited to meet you. She will be pleased we have brought you to her," they echoed, turning to go into the dim passageway. Fulton turned to raise his eyebrows at Winston, who shrugged in reply and followed the twins inside. They walked for a long way, turning down passage after passage. They went upstairs, downstairs, and far too many turns for Fulton to keep up with. He was impressed that the servants remembered their way in the big castle. He still got disoriented while walking around his own basement.

He had gotten very lost one time down there, when he was fourteen. He had gone to visit Seras' room; only to take a wrong turn and wander around the basements for the better part of an hour. He had had quite the adventure, finding countless storage rooms as well as a wine cellar he didn't know existed. He had turned to go back, only to find himself facing a _very_ dark passageway that led even farther underground. He had let his curiosity overcome his frantic desire to get back to the main floor, and slowly descended the steps. His heart pounded in his ears, the feeling he got from the passageway was foreboding. Every nerve he had was on high alert. He knew that _something_ was at the end of the tunnel, but each step only set him more on edge. Stopping, he steeled himself to take another step when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Shrieking with terror, he spun around, only to see Seras, her eyes glowing burgundy in the dim light. He had been marched up to the main floor without a word even though Seras had seemed mad at him. There had been no punishment, but all the same he never went into the basement again unless he had Winston or Seras as a guide.

The twins stopped in front of a door, almost hidden by a larger staircase spiraling up towards a turret. Fulton looked around, pulled from his memories, and wrinkled his brow.

"Her Majesty is meeting us up here? Usually we're in the throne room, or the meeting hall." He said, wondering if the twin servants had indeed lost their way. Winston moved closer to his master with a miniscule motion, his instincts warning him that something just didn't seem right. The twins, however, looked as pleasant as always.

"Oh, yes, She was very adamant about meeting you here. This is the West Chapel room, you see." They stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Uh-okay?" Fulton said, and tried to glance inside as the twins opened the door, one on either side. He stepped inside as Winston moved to follow. However, the twins were in the butler's way, moving to match his every step. The man frowned and then gasped as the door slammed shut, trapping his master inside.

Fulton moved inside the dimly lit chapel, looking with slight awe at the gorgeous stained-glass window. The image was of Jesus ascending to Heaven, surrounded by doves and angels, with Gabriel at his right side.

"Ah, 'is beautiful, no_?_" a silky voice asked dreamily. Fulton turned with a gasp to see not the Queen, but a young, beautiful woman. She looked to be Winston's age, with soft chestnut curls framing her face and tumbling down her back. Her lips were thin, but a lovely peach color that contrasted perfectly with her pale skin. She wore a simple-patterned dress and lace-up boots that made her look as though she stepped out of the 18th century. Fulton was taken aback by her grace, but the shock turned to alarm as he saw that her eyes were bright red. Her smile widened, showing off two dainty fangs. He decided to play dumb, ignoring the tale-tale signs of the vampiress standing before him.

"Er-I thought I was supposed to be meeting Her Majesty here?" he asked politely, deciding it was better to stay on the lady's good side for as long as was possible.

"Ah, _oui_, but she is not 'ere, is she? 'zere is only me at ze moment, I'm afraid." She nodded and looked toward the window, clasping her hands together like a maiden in prayer. She looked reverently at the image for another moment, her eyes a strange orange color in the multi-colored light. Fulton began to slowly move back, trying to put a few pews between him and the woman. _Where the hell is Winston? _He thought. He decided to gain as much information from the vampiress as possible before things got ugly, as they were bound to get before the day was over. It was no mistake that those twins had led him here.

"What's your name?" he asked. The woman started, before seeming to remember that she wasn't alone. She didn't take her eyes off of the image as she answered.

"I 'ave many names. Call me… Willa."

"Alright, Miss Willa; you wanted to see me here, apparently?" he tried to be polite without showing his fear. He was quickly growing more and more apprehensive of the woman in front of the window. She finally turned her gaze from the image of the doves to stare at Fulton. He gulped and she slid her lips into a soft smirk.

"Ah, oui. I 'ave been watching you for a long time, _mon rossingnol, mon petite morseau._" She swayed toward him, simply walking _through_ the pews instead of around them. He backed up down the main aisle, gaining as much ground as possible. He was beginning to worry about Winston, and he immediately defaulted and called out to Seras in his growing panic. Her mind was far away, back at Hellsing manor, but he knew she would hear him. Sure enough, a familiar sensation crawled unenthusiastically through his mind, instead of washing over his psyche. However, it paused, and then immediately cracked like a gunshot against his mind, making him wince. He felt something he hadn't before from Seras, _ever_; sheer terror. She immediately put up a mental barrier when she felt his confusion sending him only three words in return before shutting him out completely.

"_On my way."_

"Now, mon beau dîner_, _I grow hungry. So I am afraid we must say adieu. _Certes_, _ce n'est pas personell_; but your sister-"

Both Fulton and Willa jumped as the window crashed around them, sending sparkling fragments of rainbow down upon their heads. Willa gasped as she saw Seras standing in the waning sunlight. Even Fulton had to admit that Seras looked quite fierce, with her shadow arm waving around behind her and her red eyes glowing with unrestrained rage. She didn't even speak to Fulton, and he took the chance to run under an overturned pew, kneeling and peeking over the edge at the two women. Willa gave Seras a large grin, showing off her fangs and bowed slightly.

"Ah, if it isn't ze darling girl, le prodige, _les Draculina_," Willa sneered, pure contempt leaking from behind her misleading grin. Seras did not even bother with an answer, instead summoning her powers to the fullest extent. She stepped toward the vampiress, cackling low in her throat. Fulton, in his pew-shelter, began to speak the words she had taught him so long before, every stanza being embellished by the crunch of glass under his servant's boot.

"In the meadow, void of grass  
Standeth the Bird of Veritas  
Spreading her wings variable  
and making those around her stable  
and with the Bird that stands doth still  
she bows forward to His will  
Here is now both Blue and Red  
And together they go to quicken the dead  
All and some without fable  
Hard and Soft, both malleable  
Understand now well and right  
and thank you God of this sight."

Now caught in the passion of the moment, and feeling her bloodlust throughout their mental bond, Fulton ducked below his pew and whispered the same words that Seras spoke aloud to the room, finishing the chant together:

"**The Bird of Veritas is my name;  
I'll spread my wings to make you tame."**

The Draculina's eyes glowed crimson as Fulton silently release the seals on her hands, giving her as much power as she was allowed to have in her servitude. He was immediately thrown back-along with his pew- as the fight started. Fulton could do no more than cower as the shrieks and sounds of battle filled the air with the stench of blood. It seemed both an eternity and a second before Seras grabbed him, bloodied and beaten, before phasing them both through a portal. Fulton looked up, confused, to see them back in Hellsing Manor, more specifically in Seras' room. He waited while she collapsed against the wall, panting and clutching her side. She closed her eyes before licking her hand and rubbing it over the wound quickly, trying to rid it of the blood and speed its healing at the same time. She shook her head to clear it, and then grabbed Fulton's hand.

"There's no time; we have to hurry." She sped him along the basement corridors quickly.

"Where are we going?" Fulton tried to ask as he avoided cobwebs. "What about Winston? We should have stayed for him!" he didn't understand the vampire's sudden hurry to run away. Seras had _never _run away from a fight before. Suddenly, Seras turned and grabbed the man's shoulders.

"Sir, requesting permission to evoke the Enoch Clause." She said quickly. Fulton frowned. _Enoch Clause? What's the-_ he gasped as the forgotten conversation leaped back to the front of his mind. _Great-grandfather Enoch's_ _exception to Seras' command…_

"So you want me to give you permission to raise your Master?" he asked tentatively. She nodded.

"I hate to see it come to this, but I never became a No-Life-Queen and she's too strong. She was too strong last time I fought her. Master had to take over, even as much as it hurt him. I-well… everyone thought she had been vanquished, but now she's back, it seems."

"You mean Willa?" Fulton asked. Surely the vampiress didn't _seem _like much of a threat.

"Willa-is that what she called herself?" Seras snarled, before looking toward the upper levels. "We don't have much time. We can talk this over later. Sir, I need your permission. I can't do this without the heir to Hellsing."

Fulton hesitated. Sera's Master… the tales he had heard, the stuff he had read in the journals… this was not an easy decision. _What if Seras turns on me?_ _What if they kill me so that they can be free or something? What if-what am I saying? Seras raised me. She probably could have found a loophole in Enoch's command, but she didn't summon him all these years… I have to trust that I'm in mortal danger and that this Master of hers is the last thing that can save me. I have to trust Seras…. _He nodded. "Do what you have to, my sister. I'll help you however I can. I trust you." Seras nodded and offered Fulton one of her rare smiles.

"Right Sir."

Fulton recognized the hallway; it was the same one he had tried to go down as a child. However, now Seras was the one dragging him along. He tried to ignore the hairs raising on his neck as they descended the stairs. They quickly reached the end. The dark wood of the door was covered in runes. Above the door itself was a deep-set stone plate inscribed with the words **Avis Inferno**_**. **_Fulton shuddered visibly, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Even Seras seemed to hesitate a moment before pushing on the door, which swung open easily at her superhuman touch, despite years of rust on the hinges.

The coffin was practically invisible under the heavy rune-inscribed chains draped over it. More runes covered the floors and walls; even the ceiling rafters held strings with runes carved into stones. Fulton recognized runes not only from the Hellsing family, but several other cultures as well. There were even voodoo runes lining the cracks in the walls. Seras walked three steps into the room before stopping. She turned to Fulton, motioning him inside. He stepped in and stared at the plethora of magical spells.

"Is all this really necessary?" he murmured, studying the Hindi writing on one string of stones.

"They didn't want him to escape, under any circumstances. Better safe than sorry, right? You have to allow me entrance into the room." She told him, gesturing toward the runes on the floor. Fulton shrugged and stepped over them easily, walking until he reached the coffin. He looked back and blushed, feeling a little silly.

"Um, runes? I command you let Seras Victoria enter." Immediately, the runes shone and disappeared, giving Seras the opportunity to walk across the floor. She stood behind Fulton and stared at the chains, before muttering something and standing back. Her shadows quickly flipped the chains off of the coffin, setting off sparks where they touched the floor. Fulton twisted his head to read the inscription on the coffin.

"Heh, I was right. He _was _the Bird of Hermes. Seras, did you get your little mantra from him?" he looked, but Seras was too busy trying to pull down a string of rocks to listen to him. She managed to release one rock, before turning to Fulton.

"Tell the runes to leave the room and that we have no need for them anymore at the moment." She instructed.

Fulton repeated what she said and squinted as the runes burned brightly before fading away. Seras smiled and threw her foot up, kicking the edge of the coffin so that the lid was knocked onto the chains on the floor. Fulton grimaced in disgust and cringed at the moldy, shriveled corpse in the coffin, making loud, annoying gagging sounds. Seras rolled her eyes at his groaning before raising her arm across the coffin. Fulton realized what she meant to do a second before she slashed the rock across her wrist, allowing a steady stream of blood to flow onto the corpse before licking both the rock and then her wound until it had healed. Fulton watched with a morbid fascination at her ministrations, wondering if the blood tasted good before he felt _it_. The _sheer power_ that echoed in his mind and around the room sent thrills of terror down his spine. He shivered and whimpered, feeling more like a frightened child than a 20-year-old. The black shadows of the room came alive, swirling and twisting and growing grotesque red eyes. Fulton made a sound that sounded like a dying sheep, leaning into Seras. He felt her pure joy through their bond, along with the feeling of her ecstasy as she basked in the power of her Master, a pleasure she had been denied all those years. He looked at her as she looked up, and he saw a shadow fall across her face and the wall, gazing in utter trepidation at the tall silhouette. He heard Seras whisper, her voice close to his ear as she looked at whatever was behind him, her face holding nothing but bliss and adoration. She spoke, her voice light and airy, unlike he had ever heard from her before.

"_My Master,"_ she purred.

His eyes widened as he heard the deep voice, filled with some sort of amusement.

"Good evening, Police Girl."

* * *

Yay! Alucard's alive-er-awake! Seras is happy! Fulton is freaked-the-bleep-out! Willa's on the move! Winston's M.I.A.! The Queen's found a broken window and said things the Queen shouldn't say!  
(On a side note, I hope you're happy I wrote out over 3,500 words of fanfiction for ya'll. In this chapter alone. But you know I'd do anything for my Impatient Ones. :3 I'm out! See you in Chapter 7,where Fulton is confused about the term "Police Girl", and Winston is a little jealous of a bird-bat-guy.)


	7. Preparing for War

**(Same meeting room: This time the scarved people sit in chairs as the author stands at a podium. A sign on the wall states **_**"I DON'T OWN HELLSING.") **_**  
"First of all, welcome to our new reviewers/followers! Grab a scarf and make yourselves at home. Let's get started, shall we? (The author clears throat and stares at podium notes.) Okay, I want to take this time to thank all of the guest reviewers. I try to reply to every review, but you guest reviewers are my odd-man-out. So, thank you. WhiteChalk, you got yourself an account, so you don't count anymore ha-ha. To Hrr: I promise I'll try not to! I'm glad you like the story so far!  
Now time for an announcement. Neko, please stand up. (Kitten-scarf girl stands) Neko and I are having a friendly, almost non-existent competition; for every time I update, she's going to update. This will keep us both from the "PIT OF PROCRASTINATION" that so many authors have found themselves stuck in before. We've both started the competition at Chapter 6 of our respective stories. (okay you can sit now.)  
Next, some other topics of interest. Some people have been asking on my deviantART account, as well as PMs here, about fan art and leasing. #1: Would it be weird to/Would you mind if I send you a link to any fan art of your stories that I make? NO. PLEASE DO. I'll worship you/cherish the art forever. ; _; I would love some fan art. #2: Can I use Fulton/Winston/Willa in my own fanfiction? As long as you credit me as being the original creator of these characters (My OCs, not Alucard/Seras, etc.) then I don't mind leasing them out to people for fanfictions. I might even be a little flattered. If you have a more specific question that I didn't answer or want more info, don't be afraid to drop me a PM.  
Lastly, I made two more pictures for this story, both are here (Take away the spaces to see them):  
( liichan2012. deviantart / art / Ladies-contain-yourselves-PLEASE- 365736170) this is Fulton. Sexy, no? (no. :'( I know.)  
( liichan2012. deviantart / art / Butler-L-amour-365735381) this is Winston and Seras. He's got a little crush (that's not really little).  
Hmmm… That's all I have! This meeting is officially adjourned. There are donuts and coffee in the main room, feel free to get them on your way out. We meet here again next chapter. See ya!"  
**-

Fulton slowly turned to face the nightmare he had let free. To his surprise, however, the hideous corpse was gone, and in its place was a man. The man seemed in his late 20s-early 30s, with long black hair. He wore a black, skintight suit and gloves almost identical to Seras', only with more advanced Hellsing runes inscribed on them. Overcoming his fear, Fulton let his curiosity take over as the being stepped out of the coffin to kneel at the young man's feet.

"Greetings, my Master." The vampire said in a silky drawl. Fulton straightened up, suddenly feeling a sense of supremacy at being the master of such a powerful being.

"Greetings, Bird of Hermes," he replied. "I suppose you are "A"?"

"A what, Master?" the being said sarcastically, gaining amusement from the _child's_ misguided sense of dominance. He sent a mental quip to his Childe, who simply replied that the boy had more common sense than he showed. Fulton sighed.

"What is your name?" he finally asked, slightly exasperated at the fact this new servant wasted no time before acting just like the one he already had-that was to say, sarcastic and slightly eerie. He watched as the vampire straightened out of his kneeling stance to look the boy dead in the eyes. Fulton balked briefly; it wasn't very often he found someone as tall as he was.

"Your ancestors called me Alucard." The vampire said with an air of boredom, as though he had quoted that sentence many times before.

"A-Alucard? What kinda name is that?" Fulton let the name slide off of his tongue awkwardly. He immediately got a _shut-your-mouth-insolent-boy_ mental push from Seras, as well as a snarl from his new servant.

"What kind of name is Fulton?" Alucard said evenly, though his face betrayed irritation. Fulton wisely kept his mouth shut per Seras' command, and Alucard stared only a minute more before turning his eyes to Seras. He raised an arm and beckoned her to come closer. She did so gladly, her face showing pure bliss at being near her Master again. Fulton watched as his two servants sized each other up.

"Police Girl, how many years are you going to let go by before you go back to your old uniform?" the taller vampire said with a smirk, his hand on Seras' chin.

"The same amount you'll take before you stop wearing your glasses and hat." She teased. Fulton was confused; Alucard wasn't even wearing a hat…wait.

"_Police Girl?_" Fulton questioned, one eyebrow raised. "Since when are you a Police Girl?" the two vampires were pulled from their reunion to stare at the boy.

"It was a long time ago…" Seras finally said. Alucard opened his mouth to say something, only to be stopped by a rumbling upstairs. "Shit!" Seras said, twisting out of her Master's grasp to run over to Fulton, who was staring at the ceiling wide-eyed. "I forgot."

"Willa… she's come to Hellsing Manor! What happened to Winston? Why isn't he here? Is he dead?" Fulton began to babble, more rumbling from upstairs echoing in his mind. He couldn't stop to concentrate; he was getting too stressed. He hadn't been this bad since… since the day he met Seras! _Why do I always have bad days when I'm around _vampires_!?_ Alucard stared at the ceiling before turning to Seras.

"What is it, Police Girl? Moreover, _who_ is it? This Willa; is this someone you've fought before?" he said. Seras hesitated for a moment, and Fulton could see that she looked a little lost. She finally looked up, sadness shining from behind her glasses.

"It's Wilhelmina, Master. I-I don't know how she got back, or who brought her back, but she's back nonetheless and she's stronger than before. I couldn't take the r-risk as much as I should've… Sir Hellsing was with me at the time but I-I…" she faltered. Alucard had turned the color of the stones in the wall when he heard Seras speak, but had recovered enough to stare at her strangely.

"Seras, how many souls have you got left?" he questioned quietly, eyes narrowed. Fulton watched as Seras blushed furiously, hiding under her fedora.

"Only one, Master." She muttered. He snarled and suddenly Fulton got a strange experience. He knew the pain of mind-punishment-hell, he'd been on the receiving end of it for almost thirteen years-but he'd never seen it happen to anyone else. He felt part of Seras' pain through their bond, but he knew her pain was a hundred times as great as she fell to the floor, too shocked to scream. He looked at Alucard, his face like stone. _Now I can see where she got it from._

"Foolish Childe, how many times have I told you to keep a good stock of souls inside you for emergency purposes? I would have never survived all those years without the blood of all those souls." The vampire spoke softly, but even Fulton knew that he was echoing it throughout her mind painfully. He stood there, finally getting a headache-not from the phantom pain he felt, but from the stress of seeing a powerful being like Seras, his _sister, _writhing in agony on the stone floor-and shouted to the powerful male.

"Alucard! I demand that you stop hurting Seras this instant! Stop it!" he screamed, feeling tears at the back of his eyes. The vampire looked up in surprise at the boy, who sighed as the pain vanished from the back of his mind. Fulton ran over to Seras and lifted her head off of the floor, only to have a fierce-but not entirely painful-push on his mind. _"I can fight my own battles, Fulton. You'd do good to keep away from any issues I have with my Master. Even for the bond I share with you; the one I have with him runs far deeper."_ She admonished somewhat gently. Fulton stared her down sternly before nodding. _"I'll keep out of it, but he's not going to be hurting you in front of me, Sister,"_ He stated before pulling out of her mind. He turned to Alucard and pushed slightly on the newer bond he felt inside, summoning strength he hadn't had to use in years to chisel his way into the older vampire's head. _"You may have a strong bond with Seras, and your relationship might be different. I don't know, but I trust what Seras tells me. She's asked me to stay out of your affairs, and I will; but if you must punish her, you _will not_ do it in front of me. Do you understand my servant?" _ He watched as Alucard's face darkened, then lightened as he heard the ultimatum the young boy was giving him.

"As you wish, my Master." He said aloud with a small bow. Another rumble from upstairs, this time louder and closer, shook them out of the moment. Alucard growled slightly, and turned to Seras, who Fulton was helping off the floor.

"Are my guns still upstairs?" he murmured.

"In my room, Master. As soon as I awoke, I found them and began to guard them." She replied. Alucard nodded, and phased through the ceiling. Seras' eyes went blank momentarily as Alucard muttered an afterthought into her head, then nodded to the air and grabbed Fulton's hand.

"C'mon, Sir. I'm taking you someplace safe." She clutched the boy in a bear-hug before phasing them both upstairs. When Fulton opened his eyes, they were in the main Ammunitions Room. He briefly heard the sounds of guns, followed by unholy screaming. Seras winced and strode to the back of the room, bringing out a dusty old box. She pulled out a large, canon-like gun with large straps and a box of ammunition. Fulton stared at the gun. Seras had slung it over her shoulder as she opened the box; it looked as though it had been personally made for her. _HARKONNEN III _had been imprinted on the side, as well as the Old Hellsing crest and motto.

"Three?" he asked to the air. Seras turned and stared at him, before looking at the gun. She laughed.

"Yes, my other two had met sad endings, so the butler had a third one made. I haven't touched it in years. It feels as though I'm meeting an old friend." She replied, looking fondly at the weapon. Fulton nodded, and then removed his suit jacket. He rummaged around until he found at least four pistols, and a shotgun which he slung over his back. He went to a safe, where he punched in the code and pulled out a slender box with the name _Integra_ engraved on the side. He pulled the old pistol out, giving it the once over before filling it and sticking it in his pocket. Seras nodded approvingly before looking toward the wall, where Alucard phased through a millisecond later. He was dressed in a suit, red overcoat, and a red hat. His glasses were orange and looked rather strange. Fulton looked at his two vampires. _Well, now I know where the fashion sense comes from, too._ He had to admit, though-Seras' outfit perfectly complimented Alucard's, from the color scheme to the cut and size. Alucard smirked at him, seeing the gun's strapped everywhere to the boy like some sort of assassin.

"Well, Master, are you ready for war?"

**Author's Note: **So that's Chapter 7! Wilhelmina, she's not Mina from the story Dracula, and yet she is. You'll find more out in Chapter 8. This was a short chapter, but it still took me 1 ½ hours to write T_T Maybe I'm getting slow.  
**I forgot to mention last chapter:** We all know that Seras totally stole her mantra from her Master, but she changed the meaning into something totally different (which I had to think hard about, cursing the Ripley Scroll and Alchemy at the same time.) _If anyone can tell me you think/you know about what she's saying/where she got her stuff from/who she is/anything at all about her mantra, I'll honor you next chapter_ ^_^ consider it a tiny contest over who can tell me stuff best. Do your best! No cheating!


	8. Souls

(The meeting room where "those weird scarf-people meet.")  
"Welcome again to our chapterly meeting! Let me remind you that the little "contest" is still going on; please send me your thoughts [even if you don't think it's right]. Thanks again for all the reviews and favorites. I adore each and every one of you Impatient Ones, so here you go! A new chapter!"

* * *

With another rumble and fresh screams coming from upstairs, Seras made a move toward the Ammunition Room's door. Alucard stepped in front of her and pushed her back towards Fulton, who was gazing apprehensively at the ceiling.

"I want you to stay out of this, Seras." He said. Fulton glanced at the vampire. _He said her name again. He's either very serious or very pissed. I wonder which? _Futon thought to himself, deciding it was better to keep out of the conversation. Seras scowled and stepped back, but straightened to her full height.

"I can handle this! She's stronger than last time and you know that it took-"

"Silence! You only have one soul, and that Frenchman isn't going to protect you forever." Alucard growled back. "I don't know why you don't keep a stronger soul for your last, anyway. He wasn't even that-"

"He was my _friend_," she emphasized her words with short growls. "Like you understand the meaning of that word, _Master._" They stared off again, Alucard's face contorted with rage, Seras' cool and stony. Suddenly, wild thumps and bumps from the hall alerted all three of the room's occupants. Seras jumped in front of Fulton and Alucard moved to the other side of the door just as it was kicked open by-

"Winston!" shouted Fulton happily. "You're alive!" the butler had seen better days, with his neat and tidy outfit now bloodstained and ripped and his hair disheveled and stained with something unidentifiable. The young Hellsing ran around his protector to grasp the butler's hands. "I've been worried about you, what happened? How did you get here?" Winston chuckled, half out of breath.

"I'm alright, Sir. The Queen's guards heard the commotion, and tried to fight alongside me against those traitorous servants. I was more worried about coming in there after you, but I thought I heard Miss Victoria, so I knew you were alright. We fought hard to keep the servants at bay, only to have them disappear half-way through the battle. They said something about following orders before they dissipated like a ghost. I'm not sure, though. It was quite noisy in that hallway. After they left, I went straight through the door, only to see the busted window and overturned pews. I headed back for the car, knowing that if you weren't here, you must have been with Seras back at the Manor. I drove as fast as I could, Sir." After gaining some more breath with telling his tale, Winston dropped his master's hands and ran toward the beautiful young Draculina with a worried expression.

"Are you alright, Miss Seras? Those men in the hall looked terrible, and I could only worry what had happened to you, protecting the young Sir as you do." He clasped her hands in a gentlemanly manner, checking her all over for wounds. Seras smiled and patted the butler's hands before pulling him into a quick hug.

"You're so sappy sometimes, Winston. I'm fine, just a little tired. I didn't get my full sleep, after all." She laughed, squeezing the man before letting go, holding onto his shoulders and pulling some dried gore from his hair. The butler blushed, tugging her hand away.

Fulton gagged quietly. He was used to these sorts of displays from Seras and Winston. As good friends as they were, Seras either ignored or was completely ignorant of Winston's crush on her. He looked over to Alucard, slightly confused at the almost-was that jealousy? - spread across the vampire's face. Alucard strode over to stand between the butler and the Draculina, tugging on Seras' hat.

"Listen, Police Girl; why don't you and the boy go to see about the soldiers? I can't trust you to stay put here." He drawled, sparing a quick glance at Winston. Fulton raised an eyebrow at the vampire's clear display of dominance. Winston looked shocked and infuriated, but quickly recovered. The butler stepped to the side and grabbed the sleeve of Seras' suit, pulling her towards him.

"That's a good idea, Miss Seras. I'll go with you, as extra help. The butler _does_ need to clean up from time to time." Winston said. Alucard growled almost inaudibly before Seras turned to the man on her arm.

"Okay then, Winston. I'm sure that you'll be able to help me tend to the poor men. Grab a couple of guns and come on. Master, please call if you need me. I'd hate to see you fighting alone." She practically buzzed with disappointment, but smiled quickly at both men before walking toward Fulton, who was trying to contain his laughter at the open jealousy of the two older men. He was actually surprised that Alucard's aura of power and evil didn't fluster the butler, but then again, not much _did _fluster him. Alucard glared for a moment before phasing through the ceiling, apparently irritated that his plan to separate his Childe from the man didn't go as planned.

* * *

Seras, Fulton, and Winston stepped gingerly among the soldiers that littered the hallways. The wallpaper was almost invisible from the bright red of the blood and guts that covered every inch. Fulton cringed at the sight, but the other two acted as though it were a normal thing. Gulping, Fulton followed them to the piles of bodies. _I can't be weak like this forever. Seras probably hates it that I care so much. _

"I do not; I just hate that you show it so openly. Some of those feelings can come out without you crying over them." She retorted to the unasked question. At her command, Winston and Fulton began separating the already-dead soldiers from the still-breathing ones. Then they began to work on first aid. Winston frowned over one female soldier, trying to put her intestines back into the empty cavity. He shook his head and looked at her sadly.

"There's nothing more I can do, Hannah." He said sadly. The girl barely nodded, already losing the struggle. Seras looked over at the Hannah. She furrowed her brow before muttering something akin to "I wonder…" before walking over and picking up the girl's head. She whispered something in her ear, and pulled back to see the reaction. Fulton watched as the girl's exchanged a deep look, before Hannah blinked and whispered "yes…"

Seras nodded and laid the girl back down before leaning over the gaping cavity and began to lick up the blood pooling there. Fulton watched in horror as the soldiers' breathing lessened and finally didn't come at all. Seras stayed still for a moment, before standing up and licking her lips. She turned to see the boy's face, and Winston's stare. She sighed and pointed to the corpse at her feet.

"She agreed to let me have her soul. She was dying anyway, and given blood is always more powerful than taken blood. I asked her if she wished to go on helping fight, which she agreed to do," she said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "I need more souls, anyway." Fulton winced, but Winston stood and nodded, before motioning for Seras to follow him. Fulton kept on stacking corpses as he watched the pair of them go to each and every body on the floor. Sometimes, Winston would repair the soldier, and set him or her against the wall, moving forward silently. Sometimes, Winston would shake his head, and then Seras would bend down and whisper something into each soldier's ear. Some soldiers nodded, and Seras would drink their blood until they were gone. Some soldiers shook their head. In that case, Seras and Winston would make them as comfortable as possible before leaving them to the inevitable fate.

This continued for 3 floors. No one was forced, and all the blood Seras drank was given freely by the dying men and women. Finally, they bandaged the last man and Seras patted her stomach, staring at the ceiling.

"They're on the roof." She said quietly. Fulton nodded.

"Are you going up there? You have souls now. How many?" he didn't want to know, but he had lost count.

"Thirty-five. Thirty-five souls, not counting Pip's." Seras seemed to have forgotten that the two men didn't know who "Pip" was. She instead frowned and considered something, before nodding to herself and looking at Winston. "I have a plan, but I need your help. Go down to the main floor, and be ready with your gun." She then phased through a portal, leaving the two men alone with the soldiers.

"Come on, Sir. Let's do as she says." Winston pulled two of the guns off of his master before stepping over soldiers and making his way to the stairs, with Fulton in hot pursuit.

After reaching the ground floor, they were met with a furious Alucard, who grabbed Fulton and shoved him against the wall.

"Why did you let her go up there, boy? You could have commanded her to stop!" he practically screamed, pulling the Hellsing boy by his lapels. Fulton kicked feebly before staring straight into the red eyes of the vampire.

"She's got thirty-six souls in her now; and besides that she's a grown woman! She can do whatever she bloody pleases, so _put me down!_" Fulton didn't mind letting Seras bully him around, but he would be damned if some guy he'd only met today push him against a wall. Alucard let the boy down, but frowned and shoved him behind Winston as the ceiling gave way.

"Now, Winston! Now!" Seras screamed as she held Willa in her grasp, locking one of her arms behind the Draculina's. Winston didn't hesitate, shooting through both of the girls' with his most powerful gun. Willa screeched and grabbed her chest before the twin servants appeared on either side. Alucard growled and grabbed Seras, putting himself between the three beings and her. Seras moaned, but glanced down her shirt to make sure she was already healing. Fulton made his dead-sheep sound and pointed at the twins, already running to dive under an end table. Winston began to shoot at the twins, cursing when they vanished with their master in tow. A disembodied voice echoed through the room.

'_Zis isn't ze last you'll have to deal with, mon maudits. I'll be back, and next time I 'zall bring _him_ wiz me! Vive le Monsieur Feu! _

Everyone began to talk at once.

"Coward! You were always running away from me!" shouted Alucard.

"Miss Seras! Are you alright?" cried Winston.

"Who's "he"? Who's "Monsieur Feu?" whimpered Fulton.

"Ow… Winston, get off me! That still hurts!" screamed Seras.

Alucard pulled Winston off of Seras, before Seras finally got up and pulled Winston out of Alucard's grasp. She opened her mouth to speak before Fulton grabbed her arm and began pulling her towards the office.

"I need to speak with you, Seras. Alone!" he said, seeing the two men go to follow him. Seras nodded and tried to keep up with the long-legged boy, shouting over her shoulder that she'd catch up with them later. Fulton reached the office and lightly pushed Seras into the room. He turned back and stared at the two men, before cocking his head and pointing upstairs. "I want you two to clean upstairs for me. Get rid of the bodies, help the soldiers that are still alive, and get all that damned blood off that wallpaper, _please_!" At a whispered notion from Seras, he added: "And don't you harm Winston in any way, Alucard! I want all him intact, from his hair to his toenails! That's an order!"

* * *

Author's Note: Uh oh, Winston and Alucard don't really get along, do they? They both have Seras' best interests at heart, but… I hope that it might change on down the road. Seras would want them to be friends, don't you agree?  
(Seeing as she's also a little sassy with Alucard up in here, she might oughta watch out. Jeez, just like a rebellious teenager, aren't we Seras?)


	9. Wilhelmina

(_The same room. More chairs are there for the new arrivals to the meeting, who are self-consciously pulling their scarves. The Kitten-clad girl is furiously writing on a notepad. A girl behind her pokes her with a sharp stick every times she stops, to the girl's dismay. The Author walks in, late as usual. She's carrying a big stack of papers, which almost fall after she trips on her long scarf. She reaches the podium and grins.)_  
"Oops! Heehee…. Um, let's get started. Again, welcome to all our newcomers. Enjoy your complimentary scarves. First things first: **Guest Review Responses**."

To **Zkrazy1: **I'd be more disappointed if you WEREN'T a fangirl. Also, I too know the horrid, many-tentacle-d Kraken known as "College". Trust me, I'm stressed too. But I'm extremely flattered that you want to do fan art. If you do, please send me a link, okay? I'm glad you like the fic, though ^^.  
To **Heidilynn08:** I'm glad you like it! I love writing for Alucard and Winston's little rivalry. I plan on doing some more of it in the future. (And don't worry, it will be.)  
To **StreakingHerculobus (whose name is a mouthful)**: Don't worry. I will. ;)

"Okay, there's that. Now, for a shout-out. White Chalk LP caught a boo-boo in my writing, and kindly pointed it out to me, along with the fact that my French is hideous (hahahaha I knew that one already!). As such, their scarf is now brandished with a Gold Star, and she will be hereby known as the Golden-clad Impatient One. Write that down, all of you. This shows that somebody was paying attention (and, as usual, it wasn't me). Now, my Impatient, scarf-clad darlings, here is your new chapter!"

* * *

Fulton strode across the relatively-untouched office to sit at his familiar desk, pulling guns out of every part of his suit and throwing them on the ground. He reached his desk, sat, pursed his lips and ran a finger along the bottom ridge of his glasses. He stared quietly at Seras, gathering his thoughts before finally leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk, his chin in his hands. Seras didn't speak, but rather stood there, covered in blood, sweat, and sheetrock dust. She slung the HARKONNEN III off of her shoulder and onto the ground, where it had somehow stayed put through the entire battle. Fulton sighed.

"Seras, who _was_ that? Why did she attack me? You acted as if you knew her. You _said _you knew her. You called her by another name, though. Not Willa, but… um-what did you say?" he asked. The fight had completely scattered what coherent thoughts he had gathered for the past three hours, thrown them to the wind. _It's going to take me all night to sort through this…._ He watched as Seras made her way over to the bookcase, staring thoughtfully at the volumes lining the pristine shelves. She finally stood on her tiptoes and brought a tiny, leather-bound book down from the top shelf, glancing at the spine and title before nodding to herself. She turned and brought the book to the desk, setting it down between them. She sat in the other chair, across from him and sighed, gesturing to the book's cover. Fulton glanced at the book to see it was an antique copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula. He frowned and looked back to Seras, not really understanding her reasoning. She smiled softly and leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes. For the first time since Fulton could remember, she looked quite exhausted.

"You've read this, haven't you Sir?" she asked wearily. Fulton nodded.

"Of course. Dracula is a classic." He stared at the book, which to him was turned upside down, and fingered the bright red lettering thoughtfully. "But, Willa?" he asked.

"Wilhelmina. More specifically, Mina Harker." Seras said, rubbing her eyes. Fulton glared at her. This wasn't the time for jokes.

"Seras, I'm being serious. You know as well as I do that Dracula is a tale; a story made to entertain masses when they-" Fulton paused mid-tirade. The more he looked at the upside down letters, the more he saw… something. His mind quickly surged forward, and Fulton grabbed the book and held it up to his eyes. _Dracula is also spelled as… No. It can't be. _Fulton looked up at Seras, who was looking at him with a curious expression.

"Alucard?" he whispered. Seras nodded sagely, leaning forward to put her hands in her lap.

"Yep. Mr. Stoker got a few things wrong, but… the main story is still the same. Count Dracula terrorized London, gets put in his place by mortals, only this time, Van Hellsing captures the No-Life King and puts him in his place… well, sort of. They enhanced him a little here and there. Sort of like the $6-million Dollar Man. You remember that, right?" Seras explained, trying to get Fulton to understand.

"Yeah, but… Mina wasn't turned into a vampire! She was freed by Van Hellsing. How can she be here, and a vampiress?" Fulton was terribly confused. Seras sighed.

"I don't really understand the details myself. I only know that when the Millennium Project was being conducted by the Nazis, they had Mina's body and they did _things _to it. I'm not sure what; but they were able to combine what little vampire ability they extracted from her with what was left of her organic parts, and combined the rest with technology. She told me that last time we fought, all those years ago. Since she wasn't really _Mina _anymore, she called herself by her full name, Wilhelmina." Seras frowned and tugged at a rip in her left glove. She took a deep breath. "Wilhelmina came after Alucard on her own whim, as well as the Hellsing family, under the orders of a man named Strazio. Strazio was apparently running the Italian version of the Millennium Project, but his attack was cut short because the Vatican was running with Maxwell to London. That's really all I know," She ended with a frown.

They sat in silence for a moment before a crash came from upstairs, followed by a cry of outrage from Winston. Fulton frowned and Seras stared up at the ceiling in concentration, only to roll her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Master is giving Winston a hard time. He's messing up everything he can while cleaning. You're short one Ming Vase… as well as every painting on the third floor is now tilted." She shook her head, clearly unimpressed by her Master's juvenile attempts to rile the butler. Fulton frowned.

"Was he this way before?"

"No. He was worse." She responded. Fulton groaned. _My hands are past full. Two vampires and a love-struck butler? What next!?_

"Never mind that. What happened all that time ago? With Strazio and Wilhelmina, I mean." He asked. Certainly, he needed to know what he was up against. Seras, however, winced and turned her head to the side. Fulton caught the distraught look in her eyes before she hid them with her fedora. Her voice wavered only slightly when she spoke.

"We-we stopped them, but it was a disaster. It's… complicated. It was never meant to be as bad as it was, and when it was over, E-Enoch locked us away. Master first, then me next. I-I still-" she fell silent. Fulton stood and walked over to put a hand on her shoulder. He glanced at the clock, only to see it was just after midnight. Daylight was still a few hours away.

"We don't have to talk about it tonight; we've both been through more than enough. Go, get some rest. Do you want Winston to bring you some dinner?" he said gently, rubbing her shoulder in a comforting manner. Seras shook her head and stood.

"No, I'm full for tonight. I'm going to turn in early, I think. I'll see you this evening, Sir." She said, pulling away from his hand. Fulton nodded and stood back to let her pass. She phased through the door, and he sighed softly. _Somehow, I can't help but think that I'm on the brink of something big. _

* * *

Author's Note: As Leroy Jethro Gibbs says, you gotta trust your gut! Watch yourself, Fulton, you might be getting in deep! Next time, our heroine "chooses" a butler over her Master, and Alucard and Fulton have a man-to-boyish-man talk. Also, what's this?! Jubalii, posting 2 chapters at once! Madness!


	10. First Conversations

Seras slowly walked along the mostly-clear hallway, trying to clear her mind before she lay in her coffin. She heard another crash from upstairs, and finally pushed herself into her Master's mind, reveling slightly in the familiar feeling.

_ "You shouldn't be so mean to Winston. He's a really nice guy."_

She felt her Master bristle.

"_You're lucky my Master won't let me hurt him. I don't like the way he acts toward you," _the vampire growled, pushing at her psyche in retaliation. Seras scoffed and began tapping her foot, unaware that she had stopped dead-center of the hallway.

"_We're friends, Master. He acts friendly toward me, and I like him."_

"_Well, I don't." _Seras sighed and shook her head. Her Master could sound simply childish sometimes. She supposed it must be the fact that he was male. All men seemed to act like overgrown children sometimes.

"_Master, you weren't mad when I was friends with Walter. Why are you so pissed now?" _she just couldn't understand his reasoning.

"_I knew Walter for far longer than I've known this young brat,"_ he snapped, and she could practically see his face twisted in irritation.

_"So what if you knew Walter before I-is this because Walter was an old man!? Is that what you're saying? Jeez, Master, it's not like I've never had a boyfriend before, and I-"_

_ "So that's it, then? This little insolent fuck is your beau?" _she felt scorn and something else in his voice, but his mental barriers went up when she tried to delve deeper. _"I'd never think that you'd go so low, as to be with a _butler._"_ She prickled at the words. She decided to irritate him further and not answer the question at all.

_"What does it matter, Master? He's the butler, you're my Master. Potato, po-tah-to. Jobs are only jobs, after all. I can be with anyone I want."_ She felt a burning pain blast through her skull for a millisecond and gasped, stumbling over to the wall for support.

_"Someone's gotten a little cheeky since we've last spoken. It'd do you good to remember your place, Police Girl." _

Seras grumbled, but gave in under the pressure of the more powerful vampire. "_Yes sir, my Master."_

* * *

Fulton waited quietly while watching the sun rise, as the red-clad vampire appeared in the office. Taking off his hat, Alucard bowed.

"You called, Master?" he smirked. Fulton frowned, not sure if the vampire was mocking him or being serious.

"Yes, Alucard. Where are you going to sleep? I was wondering if you had a certain room you wanted to be in." he said cooly, ignoring Alucard's sarcasm as easily as if it were Seras in the room with him. Alucard cocked his head, and Fulton turned to see why the vampire was so silent. Raising an eyebrow, Alucard shrugged.

"Well, Master, you could always just put me in Seras' room," he leered. Fulton curbed his gag reflex, trying to remain calm.

"You've got your own coffin." He managed to choke out. At the same time, a shrill voice screeched in both his and (judging by the wince) Alucard's head.

"_You've got your own coffin, Master!"_

Alucard guffawed at Seras' mental mortification, while Fulton just shook his head. At the same time, a knock on the door alerted them to Winston's presence. He stepped politely inside the room, bowing before glaring at Alucard.

"Sir, I just wanted to let you know I have cream-puffs waiting for you in the refrigerator for breakfast. Also, let Seras know when she wakes up that there are more blood-puffs in the freezer, if she wishes to have them. Otherwise, I'll have her normal dinner ready an hour later than usual." He said with a false cheer, scowling at the vampire the entire time. Alucard sniffed and raised his nose away from the offensive human.

Fulton nodded. Seeing as Winston got one "day" off a week, he often left Seras more than one option for dinner, because he'd return late from visiting his mother in the countryside. He was even a brilliant chef, making frozen blood-popsicles for summer-and even finding a way to warm blood up without it congealing for dishes. When the other's had hot-chocolate in the winter, now Seras could have a cup of warmed blood. Her personal favorite seemed to be blood-puffs, a version of cream-puffs that even Fulton wasn't sure came to be. Winston kept it a secret, saying only that he'd tell the next butler in line when the time came to retire. And, of course, Seras truly appreciated the hard work Winston put into the dishes, even if she couldn't eat the breading on the blood-puffs.

Turning back to the conversation at hand, the young Hellsing frowned at Alucard.

"Now, then. You've got your own coffin; answer me right this time." He tried to say in a commanding voice. Alucard sneered at the boy, placing his hat back onto his head.

"I've already moved my coffin back to my old room, where my belongings have remained untouched. It is in the lower portions of the basement, although you will never have a need to go there," he finally said.

"You know, Alucard, I don't like the way you treat Seras. You tease her, punish her, mock her…. She did raise me, you know." Fulton said quietly, making his face as serious as possible. Alucard lowered his eyebrows.

"You'd do well to remember her advice, boy," he said in a warning tone. Fulton felt himself rise to the challenge. He already was having a hard enough time tolerating the vampire as it was, causing his mischief all over the Manor. He wasn't about to let _his servant_ boss _him _around! Fulton brought his fist down onto the desk with a loud bang, gritting his teeth.

"Keep messing with me, _Servant_, and I'll forbid you from talking or touching Seras ever again!" he shouted. Alucard bent down low, snarling like a dog.

"No one is going to tell me what I can and can't do _with. my. Childe." _He roared. Fulton snarled his nose at the vampire, furious that Alucard was talking about Seras like that. _"My Childe"; he said that like he would have said "My dog". _

"You need to get out." Fulton said quietly, though his eyes were filled with fury. Alucard set his mouth in a thin line, and phased through the floor with a short bow, leaving Fulton to run his hands through his hair in frustration. _That was _not _the way I wanted that conversation to go down._

* * *

Alucard seems to be pushing his boundaries with everyone. Pfft. It's as if he OWNS Seras or something. I dunno, like he's her _master_ or something. (Blatant sarcasm is blatant.)


	11. Of Galas and Gravestones

(_The meeting room: Everyone has a donut. A few have new stars embroidered on their scarves.)  
_"Thanks for being here, everyone! Thanks to all who reviewed, thanks to all who just started coming to the meetings. Because I am the Almighty Author (_the Golden-clad Impatient One snorts into her caffeine laced drink)_ Oh, stop laughing you. You branded me with it. Oh, and here (_throws Ziploc bag of potato skins)_. Oh, and did everyone who caught my reference get a star? Good? Yes? Okay then. Enjoy the new chapter!"

* * *

In the days following the attack on Hellsing Manor, all parties were too busy to speak to each other, much less fight. Fulton had ordered Winston to gather all remaining information on the Millennium Attacks and its aftermath, so the butler was either in his office or meeting contacts in London. Seras was put in charge of training the new soldiers to replace the ones lost in the battle; an assignment she always took personal pleasure as it gave her the opportunity to frighten the poor, unsuspecting recruits with her vampiric abilities. Alucard was appointed to bodyguard in Seras' absence, following the young Hellsing as he went about his own self-appointed assignment: rebuilding and fortifying the Manor.

Fulton found that Alucard wasn't as bad as he first thought, and it was as if the argument they had in the office had never happened. They didn't have much time to chit-chat as Fulton talked to contractors, oversaw repairs, and met with architects in charge of turning large amounts of firepower into a house design that was both aesthetic and useful; however, the few precious minutes of downtime they were granted allowed Fulton to see that there was more to the vampire than a bloodthirsty, twisted gunslinger. Although Alucard didn't speak much, he didn't ignore the young man, and when Fulton realized that Alucard enjoyed taunting everyone even more that Seras he began to relax a little.

Even when Winston returned permanently to the Manor, he was much too busy to butt heads with Alucard. The times they were forced to be together, each would simply act as though the other didn't exist.

Fulton found it quite entertaining to watch them at the "we-finished-our-reconstruction-let's-show-it-off" gala that Seras forced him to hold, disguised as a charity event. Everyone was dressed in their best, and Fulton could barely hold his peals of laughter as he watched the butler and vampire subtly stay as close as they could to the ball gown-clad Seras, who was supposed to have been Fulton's partner.

Seras had been getting quite frustrated at Winston and Alucard's –sometimes not so subtle- displays of dominance toward her. While she didn't address it outright, she did try to stay closer to Fulton while the four of them were together. However, to her annoyance her escort had decided to play devil's advocate and made since himself scarce. She went to find him only to be caught between Winston's insistence that she must be "quite cold in that sleeveless gown, shouldn't she go with him to pick out a jacket?" and Alucard's teasing remarks about everyone she spoke to, along with more whispered mocking about them both ditching the gala altogether and getting a bite to drink. Fulton knew that she would endure her Master's playing for as long as she was able, he began to worry that she might do something to Winston in her irritation. He had finally resurfaced, only to hear a long lecture in the most berating tone-both out loud and in his head-for the rest of the night as she remained latched onto his elbow.

But it had been worth it.

* * *

Charity Gala and all, it had been quite peaceful at the Manor since the attack, with nothing surfacing on Wilhelmina's whereabouts, or those of her servants. Fulton had been able to deduce that her servants had been an advanced form of Ghoul, able to speak and think properly but without free will.

"It's more like they simply live to serve. It's the ultimate form of servitude; one that Millennium had been researching for the longest time, but couldn't find any way of making it work. Somehow, Wilhelmina did." Fulton scratched his head and removed his glasses, wiping a smudge off with his shirt. Seras was standing behind him, staring at the papers on the desk with a worried look.

"Ghouls are bad enough as they were, just moaning on-and-on." She replied absentmindedly. Fulton shrugged, putting the paper aside to study later.

"It's not as if we have Ghouls to look at and study; that'd be rather inhumane. On another note, it seems someone named The Doctor had dug up Mina Harker's corpse, which is where they got the vampire DNA to make the… FREAK chips?" he mumbled half to himself, sorting through the papers again to find the grotesque-yet slightly fascinating- image of the corpse, hung on the wall and bandaged in a straitjacket getup. "But the thing is I thought Mina was cured of her vampirism. At least, the book states that she was. How was there DNA in her if she was cured? Seras? Are you listening to me?" the young Hellsing looked up at the Draculina to find her staring at the picture with a strange look on her face. At his gentle prod, however, she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Er-you'll have to ask Master about that. I'm not sure how it works." She muttered. Fulton gave her a condescending look, peering over the rim of his glasses.

"Really? You're not sure how it works, yet you've been through it?" he deadpanned. Seras pursed her lips and looked away, nose in the air.

"I just don't remember all that much of it is all." She said haughtily. Fulton stood up and walked toward the door, bent on taking a breather from the mountains of paper on his desk.

"Ah, of course. I forgot," he said as he opened the door and leaned around it. "You're so damn old that you've probably got vampire-dementia by now anyway, not to mention those slight _crows-feet_." He took off down the hall at a sprint, laughing at the irate shriek behind him. He turned the corner, only to run into a sea of red. A gloved hand caught him from falling backwards, and Fulton caught the slight whiff of something that simply smelled… _antique_ before he stepped back. He straightened his glasses and smiled politely. "Ah, Alucard, just the man I wanted to see. Good Afternoon."

"Good Evening, Master. How may I be of service?" Alucard asked in a mock-gentlemanly tone, raising an eyebrow at a miffed Seras turning the corner, only to stop at the sight of the two men. She paused for a minute before heading straight toward the bathrooms, offering only a "Hullo Master" as she passed the pair. "And where is she going?" Alucard wondered aloud, trying to get a rise out of his Childe. However, if Seras heard him, she didn't bite, only slamming the door with enough force to bend one of the hinges.

"I dunno, probably to check for crows-feet." Fulton acknowledged. At the look from Alucard, he gave a shrug. "I was teasing her earlier. Actually, Alucard- all I need from you is an answer. How did Mina Harker still have vampire DNA after she was supposedly "cured" from your… bite?" Alucard laughed almost scornfully.

"One is never cured from being a vampire. Mina was weak; she didn't accept what she was, and lived with one foot in both light and darkness. She would never again be the same person again, after having a taste of what the night can bring to a person," he smiled down at Fulton giving off a perfect view of his sharp teeth. "Seras was the first one that was strong enough to handle what she had gotten herself into, but she was still weak so I've since given up."

"Seras is not weak. She's one of the strongest people I know." Fulton argued. "Just because she's a girl doesn't mean-"

"Stupid boy," Alucard sneered. "I didn't say it because she was a girl. When your precious, brave, _strong_ Seras was first turned, she wouldn't drink blood. She wouldn't kill innocents. She fought for humans just as easily as she did for herself. No matter how many times I told her, _warned her_, she still wouldn't listen. It took until it was too late for her to realize the truth, and still she's remained weak from it." Alucard backed Fulton up against the wall, one hand dangerously close to the young man's head. He leaned in closely, the brim of his hat creating a confidential space between the two. "Anyone can see that she's still weak. Even you, brat. She still doesn't drink the blood; she still refuses me every time I ask her. That makes her one of the weakest things to walk the Earth."

"If blood is all you have to go by, then your argument is the only thing that is weak." Fulton stated simply, looking his Servant in the eye. Alucard growled, pressing the young man deeper into the wallpaper. Fulton tried to hold Alucard's stare. Green eyes met red ones in a stand-off that didn't seem to want to end.

"Listen, _Master._ I may not be able to break free from you, but I can still teach brazen, spoiled brats how to stay in their place."

"I am in my place, giving you and my other servants orders." Fulton said plainly, pushing at Alucard's shoulders with his hands, trying to seem unaffected by the aura of his servant. Alucard leered and simply leaned closer.

"Ah, the brave young Hellsing, not even afraid of his family's pet dog. However…" Alucard leaned in for a dramatic sniff. "I can smell your fear, boy. _I know._"

"Get off me!" Fulton shouted, his stony façade starting to slip as the winding words of the vampire played on his psyche. Alucard relented, pulling himself away from the wall.

"Be careful, boy. Dogs bite."

* * *

_Seras followed the shadow of her master as they strolled along the perimeter. After hearing what had happened in the hallway (first from a livid Winston, then from a slightly irate Fulton) she had went to go find Alucard. Her master hadn't really been acting himself lately, but any effort to retrieve information from the elder vampire went unheeded. Seras finally had given up and taken to trailing Alucard as he walked._

_It was a new moon; so the entire grounds were almost pitch-black, save for the odd flashlight of a guard here and there. The two vampires avoided the lights, walking past the guards silently until they reached a graveyard. They passed the still slightly-disturbed ground of the soldiers' graves and went instead toward the back of the cemetery, stopping at the tomb of Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing._ _They both stared quietly at the gravestone, each lost in their own thoughts. The only sounds in the night were the endless song of thousands of crickets, along with the shuffle of their clothes moving in the breeze. Finally, after an eternity, Alucard spoke. _

"_You've raised the boy to be quite feisty, a bit too much like her, in my opinion."_

"_I didn't make him act that way. She's part of who he is, just like he'll be part of the next heir. Didn't you tell me that?" she replied, looking at him. _

_The words had come back to her mind from almost a century, when Integra's son had first arrived from his boarding school to the Hellsing Manor, and she had made her own parallel between mother and child. She watched her master thoughtfully, cocking her head and staring up underneath his hat. When he didn't even acknowledge her, Seras sighed and looked away._

"_I just-I just wish that you'd talk to me, Master." She muttered._

"_About?" he countered, turning to face away from her. Seras growled and stomped her boot into the hard-packed earth, throwing her hands in the air. _

"_Master, I don't why I ever thought-you never tell me what you're thinking, I can't even see in your mind, you don't even fucking look at me anymore, unless it's only to rile someone else!"_

"_Hmm, is the Police Girl jealous?" he said with no mocking tone, but rather a subtle warning. _

"_No, Master. But I think you are," she said coldly. Alucard swung around and punched the mausoleum, hitting only an inch from her face, but Seras ignored it, instead pushing him away from her. "You're jealous because I've found what you once had, and you don't have it anymore. I'm the one with the deep bond, and you-" _

"_Is that what you really think this is about?" he snarled into her face. "I never had a deep bond, because I'm not weak enough to need one. We aren't humans anymore; we don't need to understand them to-"_

"_Fulton isn't like the others, he's not going to make the same mistake that Enoch made," she said quickly, ducking to avoid another punch aimed her way. _

"_How dare you say his name to me? After all he put me through, you through, you still dare to-"_

"_I'm not running from the past, Master! I've accepted who I am," she twisted and turned, leaping among the stones before shadows grabbed her, cutting her arms and legs. She gasped, before the shadows lifted her eye-to-eye with a very angry master. He dipped a finger in her blood before raising it to his lips and tasting thoughtfully. Finally, he reached up and sliced a sharp fingernail along his neck before bringing the bloodstained appendage under the Draculina's nose._

"_Drink the blood, Seras." The words echoed from across time as Seras stared at the blood. Many times before had he tried to get her to drink, and each time she had refused. She shook her head, her mouth closed tightly._

"_I won't." she projected into his head. He frowned before wiping his blood down a lone pinstripe on her suit._

_ "Yes, you're right. I am running; running from the fact that I thought you'd be of use to me someday," he answered cruelly. Seras blinked back the tears. She decided over sixty years ago that'd she'd never cry again. The shadows left her slumped on the ground, but she kneeled, facing the stone memory of what was once her friend, her first "Sir". _

_ "Oh yes, Master. You're jealous. You're jealous that I don't need you anymore." She whispered, not sure if he would hear her lies._

* * *

Oh, Seras and Alucard aren't getting along very well since she won't drink from him. I think that she doesn't want to because deep down, she's afraid that he's going to leave if he doesn't have the "Master" thing over her anymore. However, she also knows that even if she says different, she's always going to need him. Either as a friend, lover, father-figure, what? I don't know, but I bet we may see by the end of this thing.  
(Sits back for a long ramble): You know, back in the manga, Alucard respected humans. He wanted a human to kill him, and although he liked being a vampire, he hated the decision he made to become one. He wanted a human to be the one to take him down, and even had a few "friends", like Walter, that were human. Also, Seras really grows to be quite used to/unafraid of him in both the manga and the OVA. I'm not sure if she was ever truly "afraid", but she was quite nervous and wary, but stops after she drinks blood and becomes a good little Draculina. Alucard is even (almost-sorta-is-but-won't-tell-her-outright-reall y) proud of her for drinking, and I think he'd be proud of her if she drunk his blood. **IN MY OPINION:** I don't think he sees her as weak, particularly, because if he did she wouldn't have won him over enough for him to change her. I think he berates her because she's like the one kid in class who sits in the back and goofs off: the teacher knows she has the full potential in there, but she doesn't seem interested in opening it and becoming something.  
**HERE'S THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CANON ALUCARD AND MY ALUCARD: **Between Integra's death and Enoch's "locking away" of the vampires, something happened. (We WILL get to that). At first Seras was the only one involved, and it was an accident, but then Alucard got involved and although Seras tried to get him to stop, he made things worse. And people were hurt. So Enoch saw the vampires for being the powerhouses that they are and did an Arthur Hellsing of sorts: "These vampires are too powerful! Let's lock them up until we need them." Except Enoch was hoping it was going to be forever. Now, when they got Seras under their control, Alucard went INSANE with rage, and it took a lot for him to be locked away, which Seras saw and it made her sorta-insane with the horror of it all. She's still Seras, but she can never go back and be the "Kouchidesu yo!" Seras of those bygone, innocent days. She's become more serious, more demanding, more independent. And raising Fulton has driven her to become even more of the (see above). Alucard, however, is not only dealing with being put away but dealing with Wilhelmina, which is of course a reminder of one of his biggest failures, so he's not really happy at the moment. And Seras' change is effecting him a *tiny* bit. But that's just my way of seeing things. (Okay, rant over, get your scarves and get out ;D) See you next chapter!


	12. Kitchen Comfort

_Seras tried to throw herself in front of him, but she couldn't hold on to the buckles of his jacket, and the eye in the middle of his chest was staring at her, unseeing. He growled and threw her aside, and her leg snapped when she hit the wall. She heard screams and still she tried to stop him, dragging herself with her one good leg and her hands. She lifted her head, hearing a new shriek punctuating the air, along with the smell of burning and searing pain in her mind. _

"_Master!" _

* * *

Seras sat straight up in her coffin with a gasp. She heard the lid clatter somewhere to her left, and looked down at the pillow she was clutching to see it was completely bloodstained.

"Huh?" she muttered as she touched her face, only to see that she had been sobbing in her sleep. She shivered as the dream washed over her. After the fight with her master, she had stayed at the cemetery talking to Integra's gravestone for hours before the sun had driven her back to the Manor. Now, she could tell that it was almost noon. She sighed and reluctantly arose from the coffin. She didn't want to be awake at this ungodly hour of the day, but she knew that blood would help keep the nightmares at bay, and Winston hadn't set her meal out yet. This meant that a trek to the kitchen was in order.

Seras entered the kitchen to see Winston humming cheerfully as he prepared his own lunch.

"Hallo, Winston," she cheerfully said, scaring the poor butler out of his pants. He turned and brandished the mustard-covered knife at her. She saw recognition in his eyes, before worry and confusion took its place.

"Miss Seras! What happened to you? Who hurt you?" he shouted, dropping the knife to run to her side, touching her face carefully. Seeing his bloodstained fingers, Seras shook her head and moved towards the sink.

"No one, Winston; I've apparently been crying. I had a nightmare," she said as she got a washcloth for her face. She cleaned herself and dropped the cloth down the laundry chute as she went to the special fridge in the backroom and returned with three blood-bags. She sat at the table as Winston went to the cabinet and found her a straw. He returned with his own lunch and sat across from her.

"Would you like to talk about it? Perhaps that may help you," he offered between bites of turkey and cheese. Seras shook her head.

"Thanks but no, I don't really. I had a fight with Master last night, and my mind's a little troubled is all. The blood will help," she said with a yawn. Winston frowned.

"You had a fight? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Seras looked away, not wanting the butler to get in over his head for her sake.

"No, Master didn't lay a hand on me." _Although he tried to. _"He was only angry at what I said to him" _which was really more like rage or wrath. _"I told him I didn't need him anymore," _lies, lies! _"It just made him upset. I don't want to fight with him, but after… well, after some things that happened before, we just haven't been the same. Part of me wishes we could go back to the days when I was newly turned." Winston nodded, listening to the young woman's rambling. He really didn't like the new addition to the household, even if he was forced to put up with him on a daily basis. "Winston," Seras said thoughtfully, "If-if you did a certain thing that caused a lot of trouble, and in the end you always wondered if you should have done the wrong thing, because the right thing had brought the trouble to begin with-oh, I'm not making any sense, am I?" she smiled almost bashfully. "What I'm trying to say is-Do you think that I'm evil or good?" she asked hastily, her brows furrowed. Winston sipped his drink thoughtfully, watching her.

"No one person is good or evil. It's just a matter of which traits we lean on that make others judge us as such." He sat the cup down with a soft clink. "But then again, what do I know? I'm just the butler," he chuckled. Seras smiled wistfully.

"I like you Winston. You remind me so much of… Well, a long time ago; long before any of this ever happened to me… there was a butler named Walter, and he-" she said softly, poking at an empty bag, stopping as she felt her breath catch. Winston watched the tears pool into her eyes again, staining the whites red. He reached across the table to grab her hand.

"Miss Seras? What's the matter?" he asked. She shook her head and wiped her eyes, squeezing his hand.

"It's nothing, I just-I like you too much for anything to happen to you. That's all." Winston blushed slightly.

"Of course, Miss. I'm always going to be here for you."

"Winston that was the corniest thing I've ever heard."

* * *

Authors Note: This was a rather uninteresting chapter, wasn't it? But I sort of wanted a filler chapter to further show the relationship between Winston and Seras. They don't get a lot of "screen-time" (paper-time?) together, and in my mind their relationship is very dynamic. He likes her, but they're also good friends and Seras is reminded sometimes of Walter (and then consequently what happened to him) and is just worried that he'll end up like everyone else in her life: broken, betrayed, and eventually dead.  
(Sniffs and wipes eyes) next time, Baskerville ruins perennials and get broom-ed, while Fulton fight with Alucard while Seras freaks out and Winston acts macho.


	13. Kitten, part 1

_Hi, my Impatient Ones! Before we start this next chapter, let me tell you what I forgot to tell you last chapter ^_^ If you like my characters/the interactions, but don't have the time to read a full chapter, I have a growing collection of Caeli et Inferno 100-word drabbles here: www .fanfiction s /9219172/1/CeI-Slices-of-Life. Go check it out! Also, big thanks to White Chalk LP, who is my unofficial beta because her caffeine infused brain catches the mistakes I don't. Thanks!  
_

_In other news, this chapter may seem to just come out of nowhere, but that's only because it has been split into two parts. This is just to help me keep ahead on what I've written. Enjoy, please! _

* * *

Fulton followed Seras up the extremely long, old walkway, squinting in the dim moonlight. Seras had informed the young Hellsing about a week ago of a man who may have been able to tell them more about Wilhelmina, and on her advice he decided to interview the man today.

* * *

He had been planning on going yesterday, but had instead spent a major part of the day comforting a near-hysterical Winston. Poor Winston had seen a shaggy black dog in the butler's beautiful flowers by the kitchen door, and had immediately grabbed a broom, ready to knock the dog over the Manor's wall if need be. However, after popping the dog smartly on the behind, it had turned and growled, _all six eyes_ glowing red. Winston had leaped about a foot in the air before pounding the animal senseless (or trying to at least), but the dog had run into the open kitchen door, knocking over cabinets and shelving, and finally running through the hall and scratching the carpet before hiding between Seras' legs, barking at the broom-wielding madman. Seras had stopped Winston from bludgeoning the demon-dog, trying to explain that "Baskerville" was one of her Master's familiars, and it didn't usually do any harm to anyone unless commanded.

However, Winston was completely ruined over the mess in the house; the muddy paw prints on the tile, the _ruined_ perennials, and his food had ended up burning during the mini-crisis. As such, the butler had spent the rest of the day with a massive migraine, although it seemed to diminish slightly with Seras by his side. Seras herself had let the dog out without supervising him, so she felt semi-guilty and had spent much of the day apologizing to the bed-ridden man, who still managed to throw the blame toward Alucard, since "It was _his_ dog, after all." Even Baskerville had looked repentant, and had thrown his two massive front paws on the man's bed, to give him a lick on the hand.

"It's funny, Seras," Fulton noted. "You'd think since Alucard didn't like Winston, Baskerville wouldn't either." Seras shrugged.

"I suppose that-since he's not really _Master_, only a familiar- Baskerville can like who he pleases." She scratched the massive hound on the head, grinning when it leaned up and whined happily. Fulton didn't miss the way the dog practically worshiped Seras; it seemed to want to do nothing except follow in her shadow and sit at her feet, and it almost fainted with glee every time she showed it the littlest amount of attention. He smirked and wondered, but kept his thoughts to himself. He'd ask Alucard more about the dog later….

* * *

Now, they strode up to the Victorian-era manor on the large lot. Fulton ran a few steps to match the Draculina's stride.

"Are you sure that we can trust this man?" he wheezed out between breaths.

"Oh, yes. Both Master and I trust him greatly. He's helped us out before, you see. Especially during Enoch's time; he hid me here for about a month or so," she replied. Fulton slowed down, looking at her retreating figure strangely. _How old is this man, exactly?_ Shaking his head, he walked up to the enormous door-frame and rang the old bell. A couple of bats flew from one of the towers at the loud clanging of the bell's tune.

"He's got bats in his belfry," Fulton stated as he stared at the figures passing over the moon.

"You've got that right." Seras muttered, chuckling to herself and earning another strange look from the young man. They both straightened up as the old door creaked open to reveal a man, perhaps in his late forties, with large wire-framed glasses that made him seem quite owlish. He peeked around the door, only to fully emerge with a cry of "Kitten!" hugging Seras, who laughed and returned his affections. After letting go, the owlish man turned to Fulton and shook his hand so hard it made the young man vibrate and knocked his glasses askew.

"Ah, you must be the new Sir Hellsing!" the owlish man crowed happily.

"Not exactly _new, _I'm afraid." Fulton managed to gasp out, trying to hold onto his glasses and escape the man's tight grasp.

"I beg your pardon, Sir. I don't get out much anymore, you see." The man finally let go of Fulton's hand and beckoned to the dark doorway. "Come in! Come in, and tell me what you've been up to, Kitten." A while later, Fulton was sat in a rather dusty drawing room with Seras, while the owlish man returned with a platter that seemed to be making a strange buzzing noise. He sat down across from the two guests and barely opened the edge of the platter, grabbing something and offering it to Seras, who sat on his right side. "Hors d'oeuvres, my dear?" he said with a grin. Seras cringed slightly and shook her head.

"No thank you, Renfield. I've-I've already eaten my dinner tonight." The owlish man shrugged before offering the hand to Fulton, with the same question. Looking in the older man's hand, Fulton gasped when he saw a housefly buzzing frantically, caught at the wing. He shook his head, speechless. The owlish man smiled and popped the fly in his mouth, quieting the muffled buzzing with one crunch. Fulton shook off his nausea and leaned forward slightly, deciding to be the one to ask the obvious.

"You are _the _Renfield? From Dracula?" he said, slightly put-off by the strangeness of it all.

"Oh, yes my dear boy. I'm _that_ Renfield, but I'm not quite as mad as they make me out to be. Had myself a good laugh when I read that manuscript, mind you. Very good laugh indeed." The owlish man began to chuckle; in Fulton's eyes, it only contradicted his last sentence. Renfield seemed absolutely insane. He decided to be polite for Seras' sake, and chuckled along with the strange man.

"Alright, so you're a vampire then? You wouldn't have lived so long otherwise. How come you don't have red eyes?" he asked respectfully. Renfield wiped his eyes and shook his head, finally quieting down.

"No, I'm afraid I'm not a vampire. I'm actually a succubus; I take the life energy as nourishment," Renfield said tactfully, grabbing the platter and emerging with a spider. Fulton snorted, earning him a "be-polite-or-else" look from Seras, who was keeping quiet and avoiding watching the bug-eating man, who bit the spider in half.

"I-um-I thought that succubus were female demons," Fulton said as he tried to suppress his giggles at the thought of the owlish man before him seducing men to suck their souls. Renfield gave him a thoughtful expression, chewing and swallowing before speaking.

"Well, sadly the male succubae were always quick to "do the deed" so to speak, and then point fingers at the females. Back then, my dear boy, the female gender was always in the wrong, be it witches, vampire, demons…. You name it, it was usually a woman." Renfield nodded sagely before reaching out to the platter. He stared at it with a strange expression, before shaking his head and pushing the platter away. At Seras' raised eyebrow, the man blushed.

"I'm trying to watch my eating, you know. Bugs and such are like candy to me. I need something more substantial, rather than sweets all the time." Seras laughed, clearly enjoying being around her old friend again. Fulton smiled; it wasn't often he got to hear Seras laugh in a genuine way. Usually, it was a threatening guffaw, or a maniacal cackle. Never just a _laugh_.

Renfield also seemed quite pleased. "You know, I always did ask Alucard to find me a kitten to have for my very own. He always had such interesting company. I did work for him, from time to time, but he never shared. I was surprised he allowed you to stay here when-" he stopped when he caught Seras' warning glare. She must have said something mentally to him, because he raised his eyebrows and looked at Fulton before catching himself and grinning widely. "Never mind, I'm just glad to have visitors now."

"This isn't just a social call, Renfield," Seras said quietly before glancing pointedly toward Fulton, who jerked and nodded eagerly, remembering why they were here.

"Yes! Mr. Renfield, I need you to tell me all you remember about Wilhelmina Harker." At this, Renfield paled and his smile vanished. He looked droopy, slumping back in his chair.

"Yes…such a pretty girl. I did warn them; yes I did but they never listened to me. Never listened to old Renfield, although I did try to tell them. They thought I was mad, "raving lunatic", they said," he began muttering to himself. Fulton glanced at Seras, who shrugged before leaning forward and tapping Renfield's shoulder.

The older man jumped and stared for a minute before clearing his throat. "Um, yes my dear boy. I'm sure you read in the manuscript; I met Mrs. Harker when they had me locked away in the looney bin. I knew just by looking at her that Alucard had gotten ahold of the poor girl, and I just… I just felt so sorry for her!" he blurted out, leaning forward and ringing his hands. "I knew that Alucard would be angry, but I couldn't help myself. I tried to warn her to get away, to get to a place where he couldn't touch her. I had _seen _what had happened to his other women, and I just couldn't bear the thought of-well, the thought of that pretty little face becoming something so hideous." At this, Renfield spared a glance at Seras, who had her mouth set in a tight line. "I'm still trying to figure out why he didn't do the same thing to you, my dear Kitten."

Seras bared her teeth and muttered something deep and unintelligible, but Renfield must have caught some part of it because he scowled.

"He never was _good_ to me. I may have been his acquaintance, but I never thought of him as _good_." Renfield stated, flaring his nostrils. At Seras' look though, he patted her shoulder. "There, there, my dear. I daresay he's got something on you that he never did those other women. You're a special case, little Kitten. Who could deny you anything?" he crooned. Seras smiled faintly, but shrugged the hand off of her shoulder. Fulton winced, knowing that the issue could have gotten out of hand. He had almost lost a Corporal Officer last month because the man had bad-talked a certain red-clad vampire within Seras' hearing range. _However, the way things are looking, Renfield is one of the few people Seras doesn't openly threaten. Hmm…. Exactly who is this man?_

* * *

Author's Note: Thus ends the first part of Chapter 13.  
Renfield is fun to write. He's a treat. I kinda tweaked his character a bit. What the guys all those years ago thought was manic we might just think of as "eccentric" today. Minus the bug-munching, of course. His "owlish" design is based off of Bram Stoker's Dracula, which is a movie that I both love and have seen many times. (Alucard in a top hat, anyone? No? Okay…) But Renfield in the movie just seems…okay, he seems like friggen' Thomas Dolby in "She Blinded Me With Science". But also owl-y. Maybe with a scarf… (I digress). Part 2 to chapter 13 will be out…soon! Bear with me! (skips away, singing: _It's poetry in motion~)_


	14. Kitten, part 2

Sing a song of sixpence, Walter baked a pie

Four and twenty bats are flying in the sky

when the pie was opened, the bats came down to eat

and for Miss Vic-to-ri-a to see this was a treat!

Did you like my little song? Yes? No? Oh, yeah. I can't sing. That's right XD  
For everyone who reviewed: Yes. You are certainly my Impatient Ones. I'll give a GIANT gold star to anyone who wants to guess what happened in the Enoch incident and gets a part of it right_ winkwink_.  
For right now, I've got what I've begun calling the "Ketti Complex" (Ketti frowns and throws down pencil, earning her a swift kick by her nagging tormentorish friend) where I know **what** I want to say, but not where nor how to say it. Also, finals are next week so you may not hear much from me. I'm not dead, though! Just dead-tired from studying. Anyway, that's enough of me. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

At the insistence of their guest, Fulton and Seras slept over at Renfield's manor. He had the perfect room already prepared, with two giant, fluffy beds and even bedclothes and pajamas at the ready. Fulton slept through most of the day, waking up around his usual time of 5:00 pm. He smiled and stretched, reflecting on his good night's sleep before a sound like a beaten puppy reached his ears. Flinging back the dusty bed-curtain, he frowned and listened at the sounds coming from Seras' bed. _Did Baskerville follow us here?_ He thought. Seras had told him on the journey to Renfield's that the hellhound often tried to climb in her coffin with her. Peeking around the curtain, he was surprised to see only Seras, curled up in a ball around her pillow and clutching it for dear life. He leaned forward, wondering if she was ill. However, he jumped slightly when she moaned in her sleep and coiled tighter, murmuring something into the pillow. Leaning forward further, Fulton realized that she was chanting the words "My fault" over and over like a Buddhist mantra. _Is she having a nightmare?_ Fulton shook her shoulder gently, trying to wake her up. Seras didn't seem to feel him, and when he reached out with his mind she was too far for him to sense, much less reach. Her mental barriers were fortresses, even under his skilled prodding. Scratching his head, he left her side and went back to retrieve his glasses and left for the bathroom, determined to let her nightmare run its course. She was probably just hungry….

* * *

Fulton walked down the stairs, dressed in his clothes from yesterday. He found Renfield in the drawing room, dressed and reading a book. He had the same clothes from yesterday on as well. Fulton greeted the man, who started and looked up from his book.

"Ah, is it evening again already? I do so lose track of time when I read," Renfield stated, marking his place and setting the book aside. He motioned for Fulton to sit.

"Did you not sleep at all last night?" Fulton questioned.

"Oh no my dear boy. I don't sleep. I don't have a need to," he answered matter-of-factly. At Fulton's questioning glance, he continued. "You see, when I eat the life energy of things, I gain energy myself. I haven't slept in-god it must be over a hundred years by now! I get so much more done when I never have to rest. I'm surprised Alucard and Seras don't do the same thing-no, I take it back. I'm not surprised," Renfield said, taking his glasses off and cleaning them.

"But-but vampires need to sleep!" Fulton exclaimed, feeling a little foolish. "They get tired, too."

"Oh, they get all the energy they need from the blood. It's a placebo effect. They were human once, so they keep some human tendencies, like thinking that they are tired and need to sleep each day. Haven't you noticed that they breathe? Vampires are undead; breathing doesn't matter to their bodies anymore. They just do it from habit," Renfield said, like he was giving a college lecture. Fulton frowned; he knew that vampires didn't need to breathe, but something told him that vampires probably needed some sleep.

"Oh, by the way, I thought you might like to borrow this." Renfield reached for the book he had laid aside earlier, presenting to Fulton with both hands. Fulton took the book and turned it over, reading the spine.

"_Puppetry: Wielding an Art Form._"

"Yes. I'm sure that this book will help get you on the right track," the man said as he nodded furiously, glasses bobbing on his nose. "You see," he said, getting up and moving across to kneel beside Fulton's chair to point at the book, "This book talks about the art of the puppet masters. You need to read this, for Miss Murray was a puppeteer," he nodded again, thumping the book with his ring finger.

"What? You mean Mina?" Fulton asked, staring at the book. Renfield balked slightly, the corners of his perpetual smile turning downward. He looked sheepishly at the young Hellsing and half-shrugged.

"I'm-um-not really supposed to discuss it with you. Orders of both Seras and Alucard I-I'm sure that they'll tell you, but…. I worry about Kitten. She's so-well; this book is what you need. Just tell my little Kitten that you asked me to loan it to you. A little white lie, an understanding between friends, yes?" he looked eagerly at the young man, who gazed into Renfield's eyes for a long moment, sharp green meeting watery brown. Finally, Fulton nodded and smiled.

"Yes, it's best to keep this quiet from Seras. I think that we can keep it a good secret." Renfield laughed and clapped the boy on the shoulder as he stood. The two men smiled, and talked of many things over their tea. Fulton even got some scones that didn't have a hint of insect life in them.

* * *

"Promise me that you'll come to the gala's that I invite you to, Renfield." Fulton shook both of the older man's hands firmly, hoping that Renfield wouldn't deny his request.

"Of course, my dear boy. I daresay that Hellsing Manor still has some delectable moths, yes?" Renfield replied, letting go of Fulton to embrace Seras in a tight hug once more. "Don't be a stranger, my dearest Kitten." Seras nodded as well as she could, wrapped in the bear hug. Both Hellsing members walked down the moonlit path, listening to Renfield's calls to visit again soon. Remembering something, Fulton turned and cupped a hand to his mouth, yelling back and pointing toward the manor.

"Oi! You've got bats in your belfry!" he practically screamed. He was far enough away that he barely heard the succubus' reply.

"I know! They make great brunch!"

* * *

Fulton and Seras walked leisurely up the path from town, taking their time in returning to Hellsing manor. Fulton had his book tucked under his arm, and Seras had already questioned him as to why he would pick such a strange topic. Fulton was about to make a witty reply when a black, six-eyed fur ball phased out of nowhere to land at Seras' feet. Barking, it avoided Seras' hand and instead running in the direction of the manor, stopping about a yard away to look back. Seras made a face, before straightening as she caught something.

"Wha-"

"Shh." Seras put her hand out to stop Fulton's question. She blinked in confusion before her eyes took the blank stare of mental conversation. She snapped back too almost immediately.

"Fuck," she said as she phased in the blink of an eye. Fulton stared at the spot where she had been before looking at Baskerville, who had run back to grab Fulton's pants leg and pull him along forcefully.

"What is it, boy? Is it something at the manor?" Fulton asked only to get loud whines and barks in return. Shaking his head, he followed the hellhound in a dead run, aiming straight for Hellsing manor.

* * *

Fulton heard something break as he neared the Manor, only to see shadows and eyes coming out all the windows. Seras was shouting something unintelligible, and Fulton threw Renfield's book on the ground, feeling a headache coming on. Baskerville whimpered once before jumping through the broken window. Fulton chose the door, considering it the less harmful path.

His first glance told him that it was a mistake to leave Winston and Alucard alone for a full 24 hours. Shadows were coming from every crack in the wall. Seras was standing directly in front of Fulton, her hands splayed out in a pleading gesture. Winston was standing against the doorframe with a large, shallow cut on his forehead and his left leg appearing to be completely shattered. He leaned heavily on one of his larger artillery weapons. Alucard stood on the stairs, surrounded by eyeball-dotted tendrils of darkness. The only injury he seemed to receive was large burns to his hands, where the runes were still glowing a bright orange-red. All three of them were talking at once.

"Please, Master! Stop this! You're hurting yourself!" Seras pleaded.

"Stay out of this, Seras. I'm giving this shallow bastard of a human exactly what he deserves." Alucard sneered before chuckling sadistically.

"C'mon then, Vampire. Show me what you got," Winston said, trying to put some weight on his broken leg.

"_Quiet!" _Fulton shouted, silencing the three adults. "Stop this senseless arguing and tell me _what the hell_ happened in here!" Blinking, the three stared at the young boy before turning back to each other. Fulton sighed; _just ignore me then._

"Come to me, Seras." Alucard broke his gaze away from the butler long enough to stare at his Childe.

"Seras, come here. That's an order." Fulton said, more out of spite at being disregarded than actual need of his servant. Seras moved toward the staircase, then hesitated and turned toward the door. She hovered waveringly in place, trying to decide which order was more important. Both men glowered at the Draculina, who was starting to sweat from the pressure of her two commanding officers giving her different instructions. Winston chuckled evilly, leaning against the doorframe.

"You see? I told you. _She'll never belong to you._" He quipped.

Fulton saw everything in perfect detail; slow motion. Winston froze up, trying to take a step back; Seras turned wide-eyed and jumped forward; Baskerville jumped too, barking wildly; Alucard's face went from pure shock to pain to anger to _rage_ to **insanity**. Fulton felt something collide with him and throw him backwards as a loud, sickening crunch sent his wrist on icy-hot fire. He screamed, and in his mind he felt a mental rush of agony, and another scream collided with his own to create a disastrous symphony.

When the dust cleared, Fulton lay on his back, Baskerville on top of him. The dog licked his face, crouched down on his chest. Fulton groaned; as fast as everything had come before, now everything filtered into his mind slowly.

His wrist was broken; he had collided it with a marble pillar when Baskerville had flung himself on top of the Hellsing boy, trying to protect him from his Master. Winston, also, was groaning and flung against the far wall, hurt but otherwise okay. That drip-drip-drip noise was Seras' blood, as she stood in place from where she had pushed Winston out of Alucard's path. Her intestines were dripping the blood; as all of her innards save her heart were now firmly clasped in Alucard's hand, while his arm impaled her through her midsection. Alucard's face was flush with Seras' as he bent at an odd angle, gazing into her eyes. His face held a mix of disbelief and slight distress. Seras' face was blank, her eyes almost unseeing. Fulton tried to stand, holding his broken wrist.

"Seras!" he yelled. Alucard didn't take his eyes off of his Childe, although he did let the intestines go. They fell to the ground with a sickly, wet _slap_.

"Master…I-" Seras murmured before slumping against Alucard's body. Fulton took three steps toward her before slipping in the blood around the pair's bodies. He lay on the ground, staring before closing his eyes, overwhelmed.

* * *

Author's Note: Damn, Alucard. What are you doing? I thought your master gave you the order not to attack Winston? And Seras: That was brave of you! What's going to happen now? What set Alucard off? Tune in to find out! (Like this is a TV show or something. T_T)p'  
Also, I'm sorry for the overuse of horizontal lines in this chapter. Sorry. (sheepish author is sheepish)


	15. Guilty

Fulton woke up in his room in a daze, wincing as he brought his left hand to his forehead. He couldn't move his right arm, and on further inspection saw it had been set in a cast around his wrist. Raising the cast slightly, he stared in confusion before his eyes widened in remembrance. He fumbled with the covers, trying to jump out of his bed. His actions only served to get his left leg caught in the coverlet and he slammed face-first onto the carpet. Moaning, he heard a soft thudding before his glasses were laid gently beside his hand. Looking up, he saw Baskerville who licked his face and wagged his tail slightly, as though he was saying that he was happy Fulton was alive and awake. Fulton maneuvered himself with one arm into a sitting position, grabbing his glasses and gaining his bearings before standing up. Baskerville stood next to him, letting the young man lean on his broad, furry back. Fulton placed his hand on the dog's head, and considered his next move.

"Baskerville, take me to Winston," he said finally. The hellhound gave a huff of affirmation and slowly walked forward, allowing Fulton to use him as a walking stick of sorts in his weakened state. Holding his right arm close to his side, Fulton walked down the relatively untouched third floor, going down the servant's stairs to reach the infirmary. Leaning against the doorframe, Fulton caught his breath as Baskerville trotted over to the farthest bed where the motionless figure lay. Baskerville whined and placed his front paws on the bed, nudging the unmoving hand with his snout. Finally giving up, the dog made a circle before lying at the foot of the bed. Fulton stared at the bed before a shuffling sound startled him, coming from his left. Looking over, he saw Seras, already rejuvenated and looking none worse for wear. She had large, bloody tears running down her cheeks and was wearing a broad, formless nightgown. She looked at Fulton, before wringing her hands and staring at her feet before closing her eyes. Fulton had never seen Seras look so sad and tiny, like a child who had been thrown away by neglectful parents.

"I'm sorry, Sir. It's my fault; I take full blame," she whispered, another tear leaking from her closed lids. She looked defeated and forsaken. Fulton shook his head.

"It's not your fault, Seras. It's equal blame between Winston and Alucard. I'm going to get the full story from both of them, when they wake up," Fulton said, sounding more authorized than he really felt.

"Masters already awake, and he isn't happy with me at all. I did wrong, and I'll be punished later for it." Seras seemed to close in on herself, and Fulton wondered if she hadn't been punished some already. He mentally swept her mind, and found to his relief only worry for Winston and dread of her master's impending wrath. He shook his head again, deciding once and for all that action was needed. _Alucard can't go around disobeying orders, _he quipped mentally, trying to be gentle in her mind. _Seras; take Winston and go back to Renfield's house. I'll keep Baskerville with me, and talk to Alucard._

_ No! Don't; I've already told you not to interfere! _Seras shouted in his mind, pressing down with all her might. Fulton, however, didn't waver. He just stared her down, frowning.

_Nothing will change my mind, Seras. I've already warned Alucard and he's deliberately disobeyed me. He's got to understand that I won't stand for this. I am his Master, not a doormat that he can walk all over, doing as he pleases! Now, go! That's an order! _Fulton pressed against her mind in retaliation. He felt bad that he had to resort to ordering the Draculina to leave, but he couldn't let her stay here. She may have been in danger, with her Master so angry. After she gave him a reproachful stare, she took Winston in her arms and phased away. He waited for her to disappear, waiting for her mental confirmation that she was indeed at Renfield's before turning and motioning for Baskerville.

"Lead me to your Master, dog."

* * *

A short chapter again. I'm sorry. Seras isn't being out of character or anything; she's just insanely terrified of what Alucard's gonna do to her for protecting Winston from him.  
Besides that, what are Alucard and Fulton going to "talk" about? I doubt that they'll have a civil conversation. ;)


	16. Trouble at the Manor

_(Setting: A tiny kitchenette that also serves as a living room. All of the Impatient Ones are holding cups of liquid and cinnamon rolls. The Author comes in, squeezing by people to take a seat in the middle of the hodge-podge circle of a couch, sofa-sleeper, and wooden foldout chairs.)  
_"Sorry, but the Convention Center is closed for renovations. We're gonna be cramped for a while. Anyway, (pulls out notecard) thanks to all of the new favoriters and followers. Welcome to the Scarf-clad Army! Feel free to leave a review or even a PM if you have any questions/comments/requests! I also take story ideas you'd like me to write about whisper~ what was that? The wind? Hmmm….  
Anyway, this promises to be a good chapter! I couldn't help but add some Renfield again. Out of all the characters I've written in my semi-career as a hobbyist author, he is **most definitely** my favorite to write. I'd love to write a whole story about him for fanfiction. Perhaps a story about how he's a succubus and how he got a job offer from Alucard/Dracula in the first place, as well as more of his backstory. Would anyone read that? _(No? Oh. Okay then. TT_TT)_  
Well then, enjoy my tale of how Renfield wields the mighty **broom of power**!

* * *

Baskerville was walking Fulton toward the basement- and invariably Alucard-when he suddenly stopped to see the vampire-in-question on the stairs leading up to the infirmary. Fulton stopped and glared at Alucard, his face a mask of impatience and irritation. Alucard looked rather disheveled. He wasn't wearing his gloves, for once, and Fulton could see the dark, ugly burns that the runes had left on his hands the minute he defied his master's order. He wasn't wearing his hat or his overcoat, and Fulton noticed for the second time how incredibly thin the Vampire was. _Perhaps he wears such large clothing to intimidate his foes?_ Fulton snickered internally at the thought of Alucard trying to terrorize his enemies the way a kitten puffs up its fur. Alucard's face was rather blank, with his usual smirk missing. He didn't even wear his orange glasses. Fulton frowned and shifted painfully, still sore from the hellhound's "rescuing" tackle.

"Alucard, this has got to stop. I do not give orders only to have them defied. You don't hold the cards here, Vampire," he barked. Alucard acted as though he didn't hear the young man, instead looking past him up the stairs.

"Where's Seras," he said finally, emotionlessly. Fulton moved into the vampire's field of vision, blocking the stairs and forcing Alucard to look him in the eyes. Baskerville whined and backed into the corner with his ears flat against his head.

"She's somewhere you can't touch her," he answered. "With Winston," he added as an afterthought. "You won't touch her." Alucard stared at his master as if he didn't comprehend the words Fulton was speaking. His eyebrows lowered, and he spoke with a growl in the back of his throat.

"I've warned you already, whelp. Do not interfere between me and my Childe." He snarled, showing his fangs. "She's going to come down and face her punishment like a true vampire."

"She doesn't deserve any punishment, Alucard. She did no wrong," Fulton shouted, exasperated. He winced as the slightest of exertions pulled at a bruised rib. "She was just protecting-"

"She _did_ the worst thing! She chose _that human_ over my judgment! I am her Master!" he roared, pushing past Fulton roughly. Fulton clenched his fist, slamming it into the wall and ignoring the protesting muscles.

"She did _nothing, _Alucard! She protected her friend, and beyond that she was trying to keep you from completely destroying yourself by disobeying _my_ direct order to you! She was saving you, you fucking idiot! If anyone's to blame, it's you! _It's your fault!_" he screamed, banging his fist against the wall again for emphasis. Alucard paused on the stairs and turned back, his face warning the young man to shut up- but Fulton was in too much of a rage to stop. "I wouldn't be surprised if she just gave up on you completely! If I were her, I'd abandon you; seeing as you're a sadistic, soulless wreck who is more than deserving to live his life alone until Judgment Day!"

Fulton didn't have time enough to blink before his body screamed. Pushing him up against the wall, Alucard had the Hellsing heir by the lapels of his jacket. Kicking feebly, Fulton squirmed as he fought the vampire. "Let me go!"

"Where-Is-Seras?!" Alucard bellowed, slamming Fulton into the wall with every word. The vampire was seething, his rage washing out any of the pain he felt as the burns in his hands reopened. Baskerville, not knowing whose side he should be on, took to jumping around the pair and barking at the top of his lungs.

In the back of his mind, Fulton knew that he could say the words and leave Alucard powerless; broken even-but something told him that to do that would hurt Seras more than the boy wanted to. He knew that she'd never really abandon her master, but it was the only way Fulton could think of to get Alucard to listen to him. _Ugh, why is he so defiant towards me? None of the other Heirs spoke of Alucard as disobedient. Why me? It doesn't matter, he's not getting to me like that; I'm going to come out on top in this! _Fulton twisted his face into a sadistic sneer.

"Perhaps she _has_ already left. I don't blame her." Fulton watched as Alucard's face turned from wrath to something incomprehensible, and then flinched as the vampire delved into his mind quickly-almost desperately- and seemed to search every corner, leaving the young man in searing pain at the invasion. Suddenly, Alucard's face knotted and he shouted in rage.

"That damned-I'm killing him this time for sure!" he practically screamed before phasing, unwillingly taking Fulton with him.

* * *

Alucard let go of Fulton as they materialized, pushing him away as he strode toward the manor. Fulton glanced up at the moon, which had turned into a blood-red harbinger of sure doom. Wincing at the distress of his wrist, he picked himself up gingerly and ran as fast as he could after the vampire. A shift in the air was suddenly followed by another chorus of wild barking. Fulton jumped as he ran intent on warning the people inside. Already he reached out for his mind for Seras, allowing his mind to filter the gist of the situation to her. He felt her worry for her master, even through her fear. He frowned and pushed on her mind. _Seras, here are your orders. Hide Winston, then hide yourself. No matter what Alucard says or does, **do not **go out to him. Don't let him find you, no matter what. Master or no Master, don't let him get his hands on you, no matter what he may offer. _Fulton let his own worry sting the Draculina's mind, and he felt her hesitate slightly before bending to the Hellsing heir's willpower. Now, there was only one person left to warn...

"Renfield! Renfield!" he shouted, but the owlish man had already come running out on the stoop with a large, antique-looking metal broom which was already missing a lot of its bristles. Alucard pointed an accusing finger at the succubus as he walked onward, the shadows converging around the vampire's body in a frightening way.

"You, _you_! I gave you your say all those years ago. You're not taking another one away from me, Renfield!" the vampire gritted out, his eyes wild. If Renfield was threatened, he didn't show it. Instead, he swung the broom like a monk's staff, making Alucard take a step back and snarl.

"Now, now my old friend; no one's taking anything away! You're speaking crazily, and I should know: I'm the looney one around here." the smaller man remarked. Fulton finally reached the stoop, but Baskerville stepped in front of him and pushed him off to the side. Fulton complied, almost falling into the scraggly bushes as the large dog nosed him out of harm's way.

Alucard sneered, shaking his head as the shadows reached the stoop and played an intricate dance with Renfield's feet; the succubus absentmindedly poking them with the broom and not taking his eyes off the vampire.

"Don't play dumb with me, _Milo_," the vampire quipped, and Renfield rolled his eyes. "First Mina, and now Seras; you've got a little history going now of trying to take away my Children."

"Christ, Alucard. You, of all people, know that my name isn't Milo. And, I'll grant you; I did talk Mrs. Harker out of it, but I'll be damned if you tell me that I'm trying to tell Kitten -"

"She's not _your Kitten_," Alucard roared, and Renfield let out an eep as the shadows flailed along the ground and up the manor's walls. He quickly ran toward a group of spider's webs, smacking at the shadows with the broom and yelling, "My garden! My garden!"

"Renfield! Watch out!" Fulton shouted as shadows ran from behind, sneaking up on the occupied man. Renfield turned, only to let out a gasp before the shadows swallowed him and disappeared. Alucard let out a sadistic chuckle, his eye's holding the look of a lunatic.

"R. M. Renfield: The demon's spawn who didn't know his own boundaries. She never was yours. I never was going to give anything to a pathetic piece of shit like you." He cocked his head, staring at the spot where Renfield had been with a strange grin. The grin quickly faded as he looked back to the manor, staring at the top part of the rightmost turret before heading in the open door. Fulton, who had watched Renfield being eaten with wide eyes, tried to push past Baskerville to follow the irrational vampire. However, Baskerville gently grabbed Fulton's hand in his mouth and dragged him toward a raggedy greenhouse situated to the left of the manor. The greenhouse had seen better days; it was covered in foliage and barely standing. Fulton followed a few paces, turning back when he heard something crash in the house. However, Baskerville seemed keen on getting Fulton to the greenhouse. Sighing, Fulton obliged, hoping that Seras could keep hidden until he satiated the dog's want.

* * *

The greenhouse was dark and damp, with the dense weeds and vines cutting off all moonlight from entering the roof. A shuffling noise came from a supply closet in the corner, and Fulton snarled his nose, thinking about rats and other unsightly animals holed up. With a woof, Baskerville led the young man over to the noisy closet, nudging the door with his nose. Fulton tensely reached out a hand to knock twice on the door. He yelped and jumped a foot in the air when something repeated his knocks. He moved to the other side of the door, unlocking it and yanking it open as he used the door's bulk as a makeshift shield. He sighed, however, when only Renfield emerged, with a flowerpot on his head and an old tire around his waist.

"Many thanks, my dear boy." Fulton gawked at the man, stuttering a moment before getting his thoughts together. Baskerville whined and started toward the greenhouse door, his ears perked.

"Wha-what are you doing alive?" Fulton managed to gasp out, watching incredulously as Renfield shimmied out of the tire.

"Oh, Alucard can't kill me that easily. He just got me out of the way. I daresay we get a move-on, though. Judging from the sounds coming from my house, he's on the hunt and we have to stop him and calm him down," Renfield retorted calmly, removing the flowerpot and giving it a strange look before plopping it back down on his head, adjusting it over his hair so that it looked like a soldier's helmet. "On second thought, protection never hurt anyone."

"Wait a second, how are we going to calm him? Seras is usually the only one that can get him settled down," Fulton protested weakly as he stared at the planter-sporting succubus moving around the greenhouse, trying to find a path around a stubborn vine that seemed to be grabbing his feet.

"Ah, therein lies the problem, m'boy. If we don't get Alucard calmed down before he gets to Seras, he may do something regretful that will make the Enoch incident look like a birthday party." Renfield smacked the vine, only to be promptly smacked back by the tenacious root.

"Enoch incident, Enoch incident! No one will even tell me what the hell Enoch did anyway!" Fulton practically tore his hair out. Renfield managed to evade a chokehold by the vine before looking over.

"You know, you look an awful lot like Enoch when he was younger. Too bad he turned out the way he did. Too bad things ended like that; poor Abigail…. But that's not my story to tell."

Fulton sighed, beginning to understand Renfield's roundabout way of denying information and giving it at the same time. _I suppose living with Alucard as an acquaintance has made that a particular talent of his. _"I see," he said while trying to maintain an uncaring air. "What happens if Alucard does this…regretful thing? The end of the world or something?"

Renfield winced, finally grabbing a rusty pair of shears and snapping the vine in two. "Maybe not that far, but you'll have a hell of a time getting a hold on the Count. As unwilling as he is to say it, he needs Seras. I think he knew that when he turned her, all those years ago-but it's when he lost her, that first time, when it really hit home, so to speak."

"Lost her?" Fulton questioned, but Renfield finally untangled his boot from the dead vine's grasp and made his way to the door, the oversized flowerpot still perched comically on his head. He reached the door and turned, motioning for Fulton to follow. Fulton opened his mouth to ask again, only to shut it as the loudest crash yet came from the house and echoed along the grounds, along with a bellow of frustration. He tucked the question to the back of his mind before following his two supernatural companions out the door and onto the path leading to the shadow-clad manor, sprinting for the hell that was surely within.

* * *

Author's Note: Well well well, what have we here? Renfield, Fulton, and Baskerville are valiantly trying to win the race, so to speak, against time. Who'll find Seras first? Alucard or our heroes? Who knows? I know I don't! (But I do, actually.) You'll just have to wait until I finish all the cookies you people have been sending me in the reviews. Om nom nom…. (Wipes crumbs from scarf)  
By the way, where's Wilhelmina? Have you forgotten about her? I hope not, because she's coming up very soon!

PS: Milo is one of the many names people have dubbed the First-nameless Renfield before. I'm sure that's not his name, but he may take offense to that. When I think Milo, I think of Atlantis and dumb ol' Milo Thatch. Until later, then! (^_^)7


	17. The Picture

Renfield, Fulton, and Baskerville ran around the back of the Manor. About halfway up the path, Renfield stopped dead in his tracks and stared at his palm with a confused air. Turning back to Fulton, he waved his empty hands.

"Where's my broom?" he squeaked.

"Uh-er-didn't it get eaten along with you?" Fulton questioned, trying to remember if the silver broom had been on the ground. "Never mind though, Renfield. Time isn't on-"

"Never mind? Never mind! That broom is made of blessed silver! I got is _specifically_ to control Alucard when he came around!" Renfield waved his hands as he walked up the back stairs to the tiny servant's door. "Never mind, he says! Madness!" Fulton shrugged at Baskerville, who gave a huff and nosed the young man up the stairs. They went through the door, which led into a tiny kitchen. Fulton glanced at the clean, hardly used kitchen. He could even see his reflection in the floor. Renfield cleared his throat and gestured to an archway.

"This leads to the second floor. We should begin our search there."

Fulton nodded before touching Baskerville briefly on the ear. The hellhound sniffed the archway suspiciously before huffing and walking onward, followed by the two men.

* * *

The archway led to a long hallway that was filled with pictures and paintings. Fulton gazed curiously at the framed images as they walked slowly down the hall, trying to keep their footsteps muffled. There was a photograph of Renfield and a young woman, a young owlish boy with his parents, a daguerreotype of a younger Renfield….Fulton stopped and stared at one that was a little newer than the others.

The picture was a color photograph of five people. It was easy to recognize Alucard in the background, relatively unchanged and still in the same wear. It was also easy to recognize Renfield, who was in a suit instead of the suspenders he now sported. Renfield had his arm around a youngish woman, who had long platinum hair and a man's suit. Her blue eyes were animated behind the large circular frames on her nose. Standing directly to the woman's left was Seras. Unless Fulton had been around the Draculina all his life, he would've sworn that wasn't _his _Seras. This Seras had no pinstripe suit, but instead a brown, short soldier's uniform as well as an armband sporting the Hellsing motto. She was grinning brightly, her face full of bliss and innocence. She had her arm around an amused-looking older man who wore a monocle. Altogether they looked happy, smiling for the camera. Renfield stopped and backtracked to Fulton, who had paused to consider the picture. He smiled and tapped the woman.

"That's your great-great-grandmother, Integra Hellsing. That was taken…at the last party she hosted before Millennium, I believe. It was a casual party, but I still wore a suit. That man with Seras is Walter, one of the old Hellsing butlers." he chirped. Fulton cocked his head.

"Her eyes are nice. Integra's, I mean." Fulton touched his face briefly, lost in thought.

"Yes, they were. You know, you are the second Hellsing to have green eyes. The first was Enoch." Renfield said casually, rocking on the balls of his feet with his arms behind his back. Fulton glared at the man. It was as if he hadn't a care in the world, when Seras was in danger. _Besides that, it's grown too quiet in here… _Shaking his head, Fulton grabbed Renfield by one of his suspenders and dragged him onward, talking as he went.

"You don't say? I wonder where green eyes came into play," Fulton remarked half-mindedly as he dragged the older man along. Baskerville had long since abandoned them to go after his beloved Seras. Renfield giggled at something, and Fulton half-turned while walking to see his face.

"Well, I know and Seras knows, but nobody _giggle_ not even Alucard knows besides us!"

"I know; it was the artificial insemination. Integra just got a helping that had some green in it." Fulton really couldn't see what was so funny about it, unless his friend was just _that_ immature.

"Art- oh, yes. She did say that, didn't she? Well, that's probably the only thing she ever lied about." Renfield replied, smiling cheerfully at the young man. Fulton stopped and let go of Renfield, who fell on the floor. Grabbing his suspenders again, Fulton helped him back up with an exasperated sigh.

"Lied, did she? Why would she lie about that?" Fulton said, half curious and half playing along. Renfield stood with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Who knows? Maybe she was afraid of being ostracized as an unmarried mother. Maybe she wanted to always maintain the image of a Hellsing virgin. As for me, I think that the so-called "Ice Queen" just couldn't cope with the fact that she had urges like the rest of us and acted on them. It's not like _he_ was always the object of her affection or anything. It was a right of passion on their part, I do believe. Usually when the world is coming to an end, these things happen," he finally said, pondering his own words. "Yes, I believe that's it. Such a sinful act, and she'd never submit to the truth. " Fulton stared at the serious-sounding man.

"Who was the father?" Fulton questioned.

"Who was the father, indeed?" Renfield said with a laugh, before turning and leaving the man alone in the hall. Fulton frowned and pursed his lips.

"I'm getting awful tired of the riddles, Renfield," he snapped, following the man down the hall and up the staircase. Renfield stopped at the landing, waiting for Fulton to catch up.

"Riddles? No, no riddles here. I've given you more than enough clues to know the answer for yourself," he said pointedly, giving the boy a one-shoulder shrug. Fulton snorted and then almost fell down the stairs when a loud crash echoed from his left. Renfield pushed his flowerpot down until it touched his eyebrows. Grabbing Fulton's arm, he dragged him down the hall.

"Batten down the hatches, m'boy! It's time to face our fates!"

* * *

Author's Note: Ah, the Riddles of Renfield. So fun to think up. Who's the dad? (This one is fairly easy, people. If you don't get it I'll be _very_ disappoint. T_T)

Update: I'm so sorry for the short chapter! It's those darn finals! (hides in scarf from calendar) But I promise to have a nice, long chapter for you soon! In better news, I got a kitten! She tried to do an Olympic vault off my back today, and she's so feisty and active that I've decided to name her Emmy, after Emmy Altava from the Professor Layton franchise.


	18. Green

**If, just if, I owned Hellsing, I would never let it end, no matter how tired of it I was. But, I've heard there was a rite you could do at midnight to own the rights to it, but you need three human sacrifices. Any volunteers? Aw, c'mon!**

**I did a little bit of wordplay on the title. Do I mean green with envy, or green eyed? Or maybe something else entirely...hmm. **

* * *

"Re-wait!" Fulton stuttered as he tripped and turned trying to keep up with the charging succubus, who was running pell-mell down the hallway toward the farthest room. Letting go of the younger man, Renfield jumped off the hallway runner and out of his shoes at the same time, sliding on the wood in his sock feet to the door. Fulton looked on with an unbelieving expression as the older man slid to a stop before karate-kicking the door, which had been covered in sheets of paper. Renfield paused before laughing, gesturing to whatever was inside.

"Good, good! You're awake. How do you feel; did my healing powders work?" he said brightly, ignoring Fulton as he shimmied up behind him and gasped when a fully healed Winston emerged from within. Winston smoothed his hair down and adjusted his cuffs, smiling down at the owlish man.

"Yes, thank you. They worked like a charm! I can barely believe that I was in such bad shape only a few hours before." Winston said with a smile, nodding at Renfield. He turned and bowed before Fulton.

"I must take this time to apologize, Sir. The wreckage to the house was partly my fault. I egged Alucard on, and I deserve to face the proper consequences." Fulton nodded, crossing his arms.

"And so you shall. I have quite a list waiting back at the Manor for you to start working on, and besides that your bonus will, of course, go to cover the damages. Alucard will also receive a punishment, although by what he's been putting me through today he'll wish he just had a pay cut and extra chores," Fulton growled as he rubbed his tender wrist. Renfield looked at the young man as though he were noticing his injuries for the first time. He adjusted his glasses and blinked before nodding.

"Remind me to help you with that, my dear boy. I'd do it now, but I'm afraid the longer we dillydally the worse off Kitten's going to be."

"Kitten?" Winston asked Fulton.

"Um, Kitten is Renfield's pet name for Seras. They're good friends." Winston cocked an eyebrow and Renfield, but said nothing as he caught his master's look, deciding that saying something to the looney old geezer would be most unbeneficial to his current situation. Instead, he asked a more prudent question.

"And why is Miss Seras going to be "worse off", might I ask? Is something the matter?" Fulton grimaced slightly and turned to Renfield, who shrugged and tapped his flowerpot thoughtfully.

"Well, um-you see-the thing is…." Fulton tried to think of a way to explain that didn't involve Winston being beaten again for charging the vampire when he found out what was going on.

"Alucard's gone cuckoo and Seras is hiding, and I had you in a blessed room. Fulton yelled at Alucard, who brought him here and threw me inside my own greenhouse. We came inside with that mutt of Alucard's to find him before he frightens the poor Kitten away." Renfield said unabashedly, ignoring Fulton's alarmed look. Winston blinked before turning a horrid shade of puce. Fulton shivered, seeing the death glare on Winston's face before he became calm, although his tone was cold.

"He did what? Did he hurt you Sir? Did he do that to your wrist?" the butler asked, growling with rage.

"No! No, Winston, this was Baskerville's doing when he jumped on me to protect me. Alucard didn't touch me…exactly. Well, he didn't hurt me. And besides that, he's gone bonkers, so he's not in his right mind anyway."

"That bloodsucker doesn't have a right mind, beggin' your pardon." Winston turned to Renfield, who stopped tapping the flowerpot and looked almost fearful of the man. Fulton didn't blame him; Winston was a tall man-although not as tall as Fulton- and he towered over the owlish gent. "Mr. Renfield, do you have any sort of gun I could use?" Renfield opened his mouth before Fulton cut in.

"The only one using a gun is me. Winston, I need you to go to the main floor and watch the door: I don't want Alucard escaping through them." Renfield opened his mouth to object, but got the idea and winked at Fulton over the butler's shoulder before continuing up the stairs. Winston looked rather crestfallen at being denied the chance to put a bullet through the vampire, but bowed sharply before turning to walk downstairs. "Oh, and Winston? If you find a silver-handled broom, be a Good Samaritan and pick it up for me, would you?" Winston gave Fulton a strange look, but nodded and continued down the stairs. Fulton sighed and leaned heavily against the wall, looking out of sorts. Rubbing his hand, he glanced at an end table at the edge of the runner to see a tiny photograph of…Willa? Fulton cocked his head and walked over to the table, picking the photo off of the dusty doily and stared. It was Willa all right, but she had lost that wild look, and instead looked docile and friendly. Fulton took his finger and ran it over the photo's eyes.

"You must be _Wilhel_mina, huh? What in the world happened to you to turn you into Willa?" he muttered, tenderly stroking the portrait. "Besides that darn Count, that is….Perhaps one day you'll tell me, if you don't kill me first." He sat for a moment, stroking the picture fondly, imagining the young lady as she would have been in the Victorian era. Suddenly, a roar came from above, and with it a shout from Renfield: "_Honestly_, Alucard! Calm yourself!" Fulton jumped and threw the picture in the air before fumbling for it a moment. Safely catching it, he sighed in relief and sat it shakily back on the doily before turning and shaking his head as he headed up the stairs. _Let's just get this over with._

* * *

Fulton poked his head warily in the door to see Alucard standing and holding Renfield off the ground by his suspenders. Renfield was pursing his lips and staring, unafraid, into the vampire's eyes.

"I don't know _where_ she is, my good fellow. She only said that she was hiding. You needn't be so possessive of her, though. She's not going anywhere." Renfield stated, tugging slightly at the hands that were slowly stretching his suspenders. Fulton frowned and walked further into the room, trying to mask his fear as he cautiously made his way toward his angry servant.

"Alucard!? Alucard? Listen to me. I'm sorry that I yelled at you in the manor." Fulton tried, holding his hands out in a diplomatic gesture. Alucard turned his head toward his master and sneered, his eyes still holding the intense wild glow that was further illuminated by the crimson moonlight shining in the picture window.

"Now is not the time for apologies, Master," he said breathlessly, sounding both sadistic and elated. Dropping Renfield to the ground with a thump, Alucard turned to face Fulton, who gulped audibly, and tried to stand firm.

"Listen to me, Alucard; you want Seras, right?" Fulton said haltingly. Alucard stopped with a strange expression on his face that quickly turned into rage.

"You know where she is, don't you? Tell me!" he roared. Fulton held up his hands, making the vampire pause in his steps.

"We can find Seras together, Alucard. First, you have to promise me that you won't hurt her, or punish her, or scream at her, and you have to promise that if I'll leave you two alone, you'll hear her story out. Promise me, Alucard. Don't make me have to order you around about this." Fulton said quietly, his eyes boring into the vampire's. Alucard sniffed, but nodded. Fulton nodded too, trying his best to plaster a smile on his face. Renfield _did_ have a big grin on his face, seemingly forgetting that he was being threatened not thirty seconds before.

"All right then Alucard. Let's find Seras." Fulton said, turning to leave the room with the two men in pursuit. Standing on the landing, Fulton began to call Seras, sweeping the manor with his mind to find her hiding spot. Alucard stayed silent, looking around with his feral gaze.

"Seras! Come out! It's alright now! Baskerville! Are you with Seras?!" Fulton called, cupping his hands over his ears as his voice was magnified and echoed through the manor.

"Alles, alles auch so ein frei!" Renfield called helpfully. Fulton turned and gave the man a look.

"It's Ollie-Ollie Oxen Free, Renfield." He said in a dead tone, wondering for the millionth time about the eccentric man's sanity.

"No, I'm sure I was pronouncing it properly," Renfield said before saying a string of German in a perfect accent. Fulton sighed, not wanting to egg the man on. Finally, they heard a woof and turned to see Seras and Baskerville proceeding cautiously from the attic.

"What is it with you and attics?" Fulton tried to joke, but Seras pursed her lips at Fulton and didn't answer. Instead of explaining, Fulton pushed his mind onto Seras', letting her see the events of the proceeding hours. She grinned when he came to the part about the greenhouse, and sighed thoughtfully as she heard Winston talk about shooting her master. Finally, she nodded her understanding.

"You all right then, Renny? Oh! I'm sorry." Seras covered her mouth, as though she were afraid of blurting out something else. "I know you don't like me calling you that." The planter-outfitted man shrugged, scratching his ear.

"Ah, call me what you want, Kitten-oh all right Alucard-_Seras_. Renny's better than Milo, anyway." He turned to Seras and mouthed "Kitten" behind Alucard's back, making Fulton snort indignantly. He was surprised to see that Renfield wasn't the frightened man he was in the book. Rather, he seemed to tolerate Alucard, and just jump around behind his back. _Either he's learned not to be afraid of Alucard, or he's just gone too insane to care._ Seras raised an eyebrow at Fulton's thought before turning to her silent Master, who was watching her with that insane stare of his.

"Master, let's go somewhere more private to talk. You need to calm down." She said in a very _un_Seras-like way, making Fulton think of the picture in the hallway._ That_ Seras-that's the kind of girl who'd use that soft tone, not his pinstripe-clad she-devil. The pair of them walked back into the room that Fulton had just left, Seras shutting the door and making a shooing motion with her hand, her red eyes firm as she made it clear, even without words, that there would be no eavesdropping. Renfield hummed a little marching tune as he grabbed Fulton's arm and dragged him to the staircase.

"Come now, my dear boy. Let's go get a kit and see what we can't do about this wrist of yours. Besides, that butler needs some company, and luckily he found my broom." Fulton didn't even ask how Renfield knew, simply letting the words fall off him as he followed the singing man down to the kitchen, near-exhausted.

_Heute wollen wir ein Liedlein Singen;_

_ Trinken wollen wir den kühlen Wein._

* * *

Fulton gazed in wonderment as the powder shimmered on his newly healed wrist.

"This is amazing, Renfield!" Then, his gazed turned devilish. "Or, should I say _Renny_?" Winston choked into his tea, coughing roughly. Renfield clapped the man on the back to stop his coughing before giving Fulton an uncharacteristic scowl.

"That's Renfield, thank you. Only Kitten is allowed to call me by that name, although she knows I abhor it. I abhor all the names society has placed upon me." Fulton raised an eyebrow and dusted some powder off his suit.

"Well, what does R.M. stand for, anyway?" he asked.

"Rigor Mortis," Renfield said without batting an eyelash, causing a whole new bout of choking, this time from Fulton. "Well, it does!" Fulton opened his mouth to retort when he caught site of Seras peering into the kitchen from the stairs. Giving her a look and a thumbs-up, she hopped over the banister and strode into the kitchen, followed by a much tamer Alucard, now dressed in his normal hat, coat and glasses. _What'd you say to him?!_ Fulton thought as he stared, not believing his eyes. Sure, it had taken the better part of 3 hours, but Alucard seemed relatively back to normal, even going so far as to kneel in front of Fulton's chair.

"My Master, I truly regret my earlier actions," he said, although the slight sneer in his voice made Fulton question his validity. However, Fulton shrugged and surveyed the vampire.

"You do understand that you're going to be punished, right?" he asked, and Alucard gave a curt nod, although his mouth was drawn in a thin line. Seras gave an approving look from her place behind Renfield's chair, who was snacking on a bat wing and looked rather amused at the kneeling vampire.

"Good. Now, you and Winston make up with each other. _Truthfully_." Alucard's head snapped up, eyes flashing and Winston stared at Fulton as though he was an idiot, mouth agape. Seras' eyes widened, and her knuckles turned white from grasping Renfield's chair. "Well? Winston? Don't you have something to say to Alucard?" Fulton prodded.

"Yeah, I got something to say," the butler muttered before standing and bowing so fast that if you had blinked you would of missed it. "I apologize; some of the things I said shouldn't have been spoken." he said coldly, but politely. "Even if I meant it," he whispered to himself. Alucard raised an eyebrow, but stood and bowed just as fast to the butler.

"I-shouldn't have broken your leg. A man of my _age_ doesn't need to act so…childishly," Alucard said, glancing at Seras. Fulton frowned and raised his eyebrows toward his sister, who shrugged. _Don't you agree, Sir? _She said airily into his mind. _Yes, but I said apologize, not quote something that your Childe said to you, _he replied. Seras knitted her brow. _Just take it, Sir. That's as close to an apology that you'll get from him. Trust me._ Fulton shrugged and grinned almost sadistically, making Seras give him a desperate look. Turning back to Alucard, Fulton leaned in the chair.

"Now, that's out of the way for Winston. As for me, you really did a number in that hallway. You're a dick; you know that, right?" Fulton said nonchalantly, waving his hand in the air for emphasis. Alucard just grinned broadly in response, only to jerk back as Fulton pulled Renfield's borrowed revolver and shot the vampire point-blank in the forehead. Seras squeaked, Renfield gave out a shout of laughter, and Winston spit out his mouthful of tea as the vampire's brains and blood coated the table and the wall. Baskerville simply rolled over in his sleep. Fulton nodded contently and placed the gun on the table away from the gore, surprised at how satisfying shooting something was. _I must remember to do that more often._

Alucard had been laughing heartily as he regenerated, giving Fulton an actual non-mocking smile. "Got me there; I saw the gun but didn't think you'd have the balls to do it," he had quipped, before grinning at Seras. "Brings back memories, doesn't it Police Girl?" Seras sniffed and pointedly looked away.

"For you, maybe. I never was shot; that was beneath me." Alucard let out another chuckle but said nothing. Finally, Seras suggested that she and Fulton return home, leaving Alucard and Winston in Renfield's care to clean up the mess that they had made in the man's house. Fulton had felt wary leaving the two alone again after such a short time, but Seras had phased before he could say anything.

"Renny can handle it; he may seem a bit crazy, but you have no idea what he's really capable of when he sets his mind to it." Seras gave Fulton a fanged smile before ordering the young man to go to bed. Fulton didn't bother arguing; he was really tired and there wasn't much to do, since the soldier's had obviously cleaned the foyer as well as they could. Seras said that she'd go to see about a new window before walking in the direction of the kitchen, most likely for a drink.

* * *

Fulton awoke to the darkness. Looking at his clock, it buzzed at 5:00 a.m. and although he'd only gotten and hour and a half of sleep, he felt wide awake. _Maybe it's part of Renfield's powder on my arm or something,_he thought as he yawned and went to the showers.

Standing in the warm shower, Fulton turned his thoughts back to the picture on Renfield's wall, thinking absent-mindedly as he shampooed his hair. _Integra had a sinful one-night-stand with someone_….now that he thought about it, there was never any mention of artificial insemination in the journal, nor was there anything about a man…only the baby that was sent away to boarding school and even that was very vague. Fulton closed his eyes and let the warm water flow over him. _Renfield said that he had given me all the clues I needed to know the answer…. Damn him and his riddles! Just talk sense! _Fulton grabbed the soap and began to lather it in his palms. _I wonder who the daddy was. _The ghost of Renfield's voice floated through his memories. "_Who was the father, indeed"-_Fulton let the sentence rebound around his head as he finished soaping up. By the time he was at his ankles, he suddenly shot up, dropping the soap as something occurred to him in Renfield's words.

"No."

* * *

Ignoring his wet head, Fulton dashed into his office and threw open a desk drawer, pulling out the papers that Winston had given him regarding Millennium. One of the soldiers had put the puppetry book on his desk, thoughtfully getting it out of the grass before it got wet. He shoved it out of the way and slammed the papers on his desk, rifling through them until he came to a paper with a picture attached to it by a tiny paper clip. Ripping the picture from the clip, he ran over to the wall, where the picture of him and Seras was. He shoved the picture beside the face of the boy in the photograph, and went pale. Slowly, he stepped back and sighed, before turning and yelling at the top of his lungs.

"_Seras!_" Seras came running into the room, already dressed in her nightgown. She sleepily looked around for the danger, only to see a wet-headed air with a picture crumpled in his hand. Fulton turned to stare at her, before pointing at the picture and placing it back onto the wall beside his 12-year-old self. Seras went over to stare confused at the picture, before turning to Fulton.

"Seras, we have the same eyes. _He has my eyes, Seras._ Is this-Integra never had artificial insemination. Is this why Alucard hates me so much? Because I look like-_him_?"

Seras opened her mouth a few times, looking like a fanged trout. Finally, she motioned toward the desk, and both took their respective seats as Seras rubbed her forehead, nursing a headache. Fulton waited anxiously as she began to speak.

"You have to understand….when people think that the world is ending, and there won't be a tomorrow, they do things that they wouldn't if it were everyday life. This was one of those cases, I don't know the particulars but apparently they were in the same room and something just- I dunno, _happened_." Fulton stared at Seras, unblinking as she paused.

"So, they thought the world was ending so they said "Oh, yay! Let's have sex! It won't matter anyway!" Honestly, Seras!"

"Fulton, it wasn't like that. This had been a long time coming, I think…."

"Celibacy! Christ, Seras!" Fulton yelled, waving the picture before flinging it between them. "No wonder Alucard hates me, he lost his to a fucking _priest!_" Seras snorted, trying not to laugh.

"I promise you, Alucard never felt that way about Integra. Do you feel that way toward me?" she asked.

"Lord no! That's disgusting!" Fulton snarled his nose and blanched.

"My point exactly. Integra wasn't but 12 when she first met Alucard." Seras explained patiently.

"Oh. But still, you'd think that-you'd wonder if-she loved him?" Fulton finally asked, fingering the picture of his great-great-grandfather thoughtfully. Seras cast her eyes down, wringing her hands on her pajamas.

"I don't exactly know, Sir. She only told me after I confronted her about-well, her son-you've heard well enough about Enoch, I do believe-he had green eyes too," Seras replied quietly. Fulton nodded.

"Renfield said I looked like Enoch."

"Well, I suppose you do. The eyes, definitely, and the jawline…his hair was longer than yours is, though. Besides, I only saw Enoch after he came back from school. Integra had him sent away when he was three. She said-she said he looked too much like his father, and she couldn't bear to look at him. That's why I think that she certainly had _affection_ for him. Otherwise, she'd not care if he looked like_ him_ or like, oh say Enrico Maxwell." Seras chuckled, ignoring the fact that her joke wasn't very funny to Fulton.

"And-did he return her affection?" Fulton questioned. Seras looked at the young man contemplatively.

"I suppose he had to feel something for her. I'm sure he respected her. As far as that goes, for her power and money. She was a Protestant, though, and he slept with her anyway. That shows he cared about something more than his own religion to sleep with her. By Catholic standards, he'd be damned for sleeping with a Protestant virgin, unmarried to her and a priest at that," she finally replied. "Well, she could've said something, too. Knowing Integra, she'd probably be able to get a brick to have sex with her, if she pulled all her charms out. Once, she had me lick her finger and it was the weirdest thing, because-"Seras stopped her chattering at Fulton's slightly disgusted look. She grinned abashedly, waving her hand. "Never mind, Sir."

"I think we'll end on that note, er-go to bed, you're tired." Fulton waved her away, getting a cheery "G'night" in return before she phased through the floor. He grabbed the picture, staring into the bright green eyes that held such reverence and defiance and rightful vengeance in his look, although it was only an I.D. photo. Fulton ran a finger over the markered name across the bottom.

"Alexander Anderson."

* * *

_He was lying on the ground, pain racking his body as he stared at the blue sky. On such a dark day, the sky looked so beautiful: if only he didn't hurt so much, what'd it be like to fly in the sun, just once, and forget that he didn't belong out here. He was burning, oh the pain of being burned by the thing he once enjoyed! A shadow stood over him, and he thought it was himself for a moment, before a darker, older voice spoke from the man's mouth._

_ "I hope you understand this: It's your fault. Now see what' you've done? She's dead, your mission was a failure, and your Master is having to be punished himself for trying to come get you. It's a shame: You make him suffer so, only because you call him to save you from the righteous agony of your sin? Shame." _

_He knew it wasn't his fault: the man was bluffing, Master wasn't here! He was…he was….Master, where are you? Please don't abandon me! It hurts! He reached out desperately with his mind, and the voice wrapped around and soothed him as best as it could. _

I'm coming, wait for me. Hold on, I'm coming._ He relaxed, now. His Master wouldn't leave him. His Master was-His Master loved-did he love? Was it true? What about the other, though? He ignored those bad thoughts as a fresh wave of sun-drenched pain wrung through him. _

_The man glanced up as the clouds began to cover the sun, giving him instant relief. The man cursed angrily. _

_ "Is that how you want to play the game, then? Fine. Mother's pets or not, I'll see you destroyed yet for what you've done. My Abby is gone, my love is gone, so now you're going to be gone. Get up." _

_He gasped, finally being able to rise of his own will. He tried to run, but stopped dead in his tracks as the man said the words that would seal his fate._

_ "I order you to kill your Master." _

_He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think: he was no longer in control of his body. He could only scream in his mind as he was forced to obey the order, thinking over and over in his head as he felt his wings develop for him to fly to his death. _

It's my fault. It's my fault. It's my fault.

* * *

Fulton awoke with a gasp, sweat pouring off his body and wetting the papers on the desk. He caught his breath, trying to understand what that horrible nightmare had been about. _I must have fallen asleep while working…_ he shuffled the damp papers and glanced at the clock. Noon. Suddenly, he had a thought. Reaching out to Seras, he felt her dream waves coming out in hurried, terrified bursts. He had never fallen asleep during the day before, at the same time Seras was sleeping. Well, not sense Seras had put him to sleep all those years ago. He clutched his head, feeling a migraine coming.

_ If that was Seras, were those her memories that I was seeing through my own eyes? Was…was that Enoch? _Fulton questioned himself, but if he knew the answer, none came.

* * *

**Authors Note:** WOW! 13 pages of a Word Document! My longest chapter yet!  
I'm sorry for not going into detail about Alucard and Seras' chat, but I tried and it just muddled up the story; bogged it down. Maybe I'll do a one shot about their 3 hour chat. Maybe.

Renfield was making a joke with the Alles, alles thing. He's old enough to remember the origin of "ollie-ollie oxen free, which most researchers believe comes from the German term that Renfield said, which means "Everyone, everyone is also free."

**_Hide-and-seek is one of the oldest children's games, with ancient Greek writers talking about children playing it. It also has it's own term in every language. (Ex: Japanese- Kakurenbo, German- Versteckspiel, Dutch- Verstoppertje, Korean- sumbakkogjil. Just to name a few.) Now don't say I never taught you kids anything ;)_**

This is as G-rated as I'll be for this one. Under this are some bad words and hints of innuendos. Please don't flag me. Please.

* * *

Wow, Seras had it rough, huh? Or was it just a nightmare? (Hint: it wasn't). Maybe now you can put more of the puzzle together, eh G.O.C.? Or have I made it only that more confusing? Hehehe, also: UPDATE KETTI, GOSH DARNIT!  
Renfield learned somewhere down the road not to be scared of Alucard. I wish that I was that brave. Or maybe he's just looney-tunes. I dunno. But that's the last we'll see of him for a while.

* * *

Oh, Integra. Or as my brother affectionately calls her: Oh, Teggie.  
_(You and Anderson did the bow-chicka-wow-wow and now you're going to have a baby. THIS JUST- I came across this well-written fanfiction by **Stained** **Blue**on here ( www. fanfiction s / 5363520 / 1 / Sinful-Thoughts) and it just kinda….never went away. So, I based it as this. Do you remember when Integra was being a cool lady-figure with the whole "Light my cigar" thing? And all of Section XIII was there like "Oh, hot damn Lady-figure!" And then they all followed her home like lost puppies? Yeah, say during that that Anderson may have had, oh about 2 hours alone with Integra. What happened during those two hours…besides hot steamy sex and religions clashing…is up to you. I'm not good at lemons, only because I giggle every time I try to write one, and I don't like them to sound all clichéd. T_T)_

In final words, I'd like to say that I hope you enjoy the chapter, and thank you to all of the people who've followed/reviewed/favorited, and also to all those who've been here since the beginning. You people are the reason I write this stuff! Thanks! _Arigatougozaimasu!_


	19. Birthday Flowers

Fulton sat the bouquet of irises down on the mottled grave. Ever since he had been a boy, Seras had taken him to his great-great-grandmother's grave to pay respects on the dead woman's birthday. Now, since Seras had been rather busy keeping Alucard and Winston at work fixing the house, she had begged Fulton to go alone this year.

Fulton knelt to the grassy knoll that separated the gravestone from the two older ones that had been Integra's parents. He ran a hand over the faded letters: I-N-T-G-R-A-L. _I wonder why most people just ended up dropping the L?_ He had only known her by "Integra" or "Sir", depending on who was talking. He wondered about her character, thinking back to Renfield's picture. Integra had seemed cold, but kind in her smile, but it was no secret that Seras had truly cared for her. _If Seras loved her, I would have liked her too, I think. _Smiling, Fulton glanced around to make sure he was alone before leaning against the grave. Looking at the sky, he sat in comfortable silence. _It's no surprise Seras likes it out here; I feel completely at peace. I wonder if this is great-great-grandmother's doing? _Sighing, he closed his eyes.

"I feel rather silly about talking out loud to you. It's just that-I don't have the answers I need, and it's getting so confusing! I guess… maybe I feel like I can talk here because you were in my place once. Does that make sense? I just….I just learned about you and Anderson, and now Willa's still a threat, and my men aren't getting along and Seras is using all her energy being caught in the middle and I just…" he allowed himself to break down quietly, a tear running down his cheek. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore. It's all so _demanding_." He kept his eyes closed, listening to the silence that was punctuated by the cries of the animals on the grounds.

* * *

When he opened them again, it was twilight. _Did-did I fall asleep?_ he wondered, standing up and glancing around. The cemetery was deathly quiet, and Fulton frowned as he wondered where the night sounds that usually haunted the Hellsing grounds were. Usually, the owls were hooting, and at least sounds from the house where Alucard and Seras were up_ should_ have been heard. He sniffed, and the lazy, soothing smell of tobacco drifted from somewhere. He closed his eyes appreciatively, relishing the tangy odor. It reminded him of the long-ago era of his father's pipe. _Mmmm, _he thought. Hearing a shuffling behind him, he turned only to widen his eyes as the woman from the picture sat upon her own gravestone. She looked a bit older than the picture, with defined lines around her eyes and mouth. She had a cigar clamped between her teeth, and she stared at Fulton with an amused expression in her cerulean eyes. Fulton opened his mouth, than closed it, turning his head fully to look at her better.

"A-are you my great-great-grandmother?" he finally sputtered out. The woman smiled, speaking around her cigar.

"Call me Integra. _Family_ gets that privilege."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the short chapter, but there's going to be a big discussion and I wanted to break it in two.  
Is Fulton having a dream? A vision? _Is this the real life, or is it just fantasy? _I dunno. What do you think, Freddie?


	20. Integra's Advice

Fulton stared as his great-great-grandmother Integra held out her arm.

"Walk with me." Linking elbows, the tall young man and the tinier, older woman began to make a path through the gravestones, heading for the center of the graveyard. They walked in comfortable silence for a while, before Integra finally dropped the butt of her cigar on the ground, grinding it expertly as she continued walking. "What do you think of Seras, Fulton?" she asked out of the blue. Fulton blinked and focused, trying to read the woman's face before answering.

"I like her and respect her. She's a good servant. She's like a sister to me, considering she practically raised me," he replied slowly, wondering where the conversation was going. Integra nodded.

"You have more than me on that subject, at least. I only respected my servant, but I never truly enjoyed his company, save for a rare time or two." She stared at the moon above them thoughtfully. "And what of Alucard? What do you think about him?" She stared out of the corner of her eye at Fulton, who wrinkled his nose. He muttered something under his breath, to which Integra laughed out loud. "I'll give you that, that name does fit him." She sighed, wiping her eyes from under her glasses. "Now, you told me that you're lost. Explain from the beginning, if you please."

* * *

So Fulton told the entire tale, from the moment he arrived in London until the last dregs of the fight at Renfield's. Pausing a moment, he went ahead and added his revelation about Alexander Anderson and the role he played in the Hellsing line, hoping that he wasn't crossing any hidden boundary with the woman. Integra listened quietly as he spoke, her face betraying no emotion. After Fulton finally stopped, he noticed that they had come to the large cypress tree that marked the middle of the graveyard and stood guard over the tomb of the_ original_ Van Hellsing. A small boulder sat under the tree, and the pair walked over to it. Integra hopped up onto the boulder, and Fulton leaned against it, waiting for his ancestor's judgment on his predicament. Integra pulled out another cigar and lit it, inhaling the smoke before heaving a deep sigh.

"Do you know how Seras came to be a vampire?" she asked finally. Fulton gave a half-shrug.

"Alucard? Seras never went into any particulars about the situation," he admitted. Integra smirked and waved a hand in the air.

"Well, listen and learn something. In a tiny town called Cheddar, a vampire priest was wreaking havoc. Seras, a policewoman, was sent to help rid the vampiric threat from the village. Sadly, by the time we arrived, she was terribly outnumbered. All of the police squadrons and special units sent into Cheddar-as well as all of the inhabitants of the town itself- had been turned into Ghouls. Seras was caught by the vampire priest, who was undoubtedly about to drain her." Integra paused, taking another drag.

"But what about-"

"I'm getting to that! Listen and keep quiet. Now, I don't know exactly what happened, but from what Seras and Alucard told me, Alucard swept in at the last minute to save Seras. However, he ended up having to shoot Seras to kill the vampire priest, who had been using her as a shield of sorts. Now, Seras was given two choices by Alucard: die, or be reborn as a Draculina. It's obvious what she chose." Fulton nodded as Integra finished her speech.

"That's all well and good, but what does that have to do with my problem?" Fulton semi-whined, trying to understand why Integra thought he needed to know all of this. Integra glared at the boy.

"I _said_ I was getting to it. Now, the thing is that Alucard hadn't shown any sort of…inclination to take a Childe before Cheddar. Even so, when he did he constantly told Seras that she was sub-par, but he never really told her that he completely regretted his decision. He became a teacher of sorts to her, but at the same time, she was really left to her own devices. Why would a man like Alucard create this little creature, if he didn't have any use for her? Can you think of why?" Integra asked, like a schoolteacher trying to coerce a pupil into the right answer on a test. Fulton frowned, his eyes blank as he searched for an answer. Looking up to see Integra's expectant face, he decided to just try.

"Because….he was lonely?" he said, choosing the least ideal answer in his mind, resolved that if he was going to be wrong, he might as well really _be wrong_. However, Integra half-nodded, her face drawn.

"Perhaps he was feeling a bout of loneliness, but that wouldn't be a reason to just choose a random girl. There were many ways he could have dispatched that priest so that Seras stayed alive. However, he chose the one way that would almost guarantee her coming with him. Why was that?" Fulton pondered once more.

"Um-er-was he attracted to her? I mean, Seras is really pretty." Fulton shrugged. Integra made a "hmm" sound.

"Maybe; it's no lie that Miss Victoria is quite the little beauty, but there are many more beautiful than her that Alucard could have chosen."

"He-uh-He wanted a cute little servant to show off to everyone?" Integra chuckled.

"Yes, that seems to be the _Alucard _way of doing things, but I just don't think that this was the situation then."

"Fine, I give up. Why?" Fulton said, lost for answers. Integra gave a rueful grin.

"I honestly only have theories, myself. I'm just like you; I can't see Alucard's mind, but I do know him almost like you know Seras. I think that he saw something in Cheddar that he hadn't seen since the days of Bram Stoker. I believe that when she drinks his blood, he fully intends to make her a Queen." Fulton stared at Integra, waiting for the punch line that never came.

"A-queen." He said finally, giving his ancestor an incredulous look. "He wants Seras to be his queen." Integra shrugged.

"Only theory, but he's not giving up on her anytime soon. I've seen them together; she does something to him that no other girl has- at least not for a long time." Fulton thought back to Renfield's, where Seras had taken only mere hours to calm a previously insane Alucard. _In retrospect, I can see what she's talking about._

"I think that I understand." Fulton said slowly, nodding to himself. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Integra smiling at him, her icy eyes harboring a small warmth.

"Here is my advice to you. Alucard has already chosen. Now, for peace to reign in England once more a sacrifice must be made willingly. Remember this, and you'll win this battle, Fulton." Raising her hand to his cheek, Integra cocked her head and stared at the current Hellsing. "You look an awful lot like him….my son, I mean." Fulton leaned into her hand, staring into the woman's blue gaze.

"Integra-I,"

Reaching forward he wrapped the surprised woman in a hug, whispering something into her ear. Integra's eyes widened, but she said nothing as she finally returned the hug, squeezing slightly before pushing him away. Green eyes met blue, and as the world around him began spinning, he heard her whisper two words as she let go and he felt himself falling.

"I do."

* * *

Gasping, Fulton awoke in his sitting position beside the gravestone. Blinking in the bright sunlight, he shook his head and rubbed his eyes. Stretching, he stood up before looking once at the grave and the bright flowers. He pulled his arm up to glance at the watch that sat on his wrist: 12:05 pm. He yawned and went back into the house. Going to his office, he shooed Winston out before he sat and began searching out his two servants. Going to Alucard first, he felt smooth waves of sleep roll over him, making him yawn again. He gently pulled back and went to Seras, to find her waves in semi-restlessness. _This is the time to do it, but let's start with something else first. _Steeling his nerves, Fulton put the plan he'd been preparing for a week in action. But now, the tides had changed.

Reaching into her mind, he slowly repeated the word: Cheddar, Cheddar, Cheddar- in time with the sleep waves that were coming from her. He felt her dream began to shift, and he was brought down with it, against his will. Taking a deep breath, he stopped fighting and instead allowed her mind to swallow him whole.

* * *

_It was frightening, Hell on Earth. Behind her, a demon-man, a monster-was holding her against him. Before her stood a hellish crimson-clad knight who had managed to shoot down all of the zombies-her former teammates-with only a few rounds. He was speaking to her, but she couldn't hear him over the roaring in her ears. The monster behind her was yelling, too. She finally managed to make sense of his words: "Are you a virgin? Answer me!" Lost, alone, confused, her police instincts kicked in and she responded to the order. _

"_Y-yes!" she cried, blushing as she pronounced her virginity loud enough for the people in the next town over to hear. The knight nodded to himself. Then, things happened in slow motion. She saw him pull the trigger, but the impact of his motion didn't grasp her until the immense pain shot through her chest. She saw red for a fleeting moment before her lungs forgot how to breathe; her heart forgot how to pump. She fell to the ground, hearing the demon-monster's last scream behind her as he was finally silenced. She wanted to scream, to sob, to cry out "How could you?!" but nothing came. She could only listen to the dripping sound of her blood on the grass; only watch as the crimson-clad murderer strode up to her, kneeling by her side. _

"_I had to shoot you to get to him." __**No duh.**__ "You don't have long to live." __**You don't say?**__ "So, what will you choose?" __**Wha-?**_

_She pulled all her strength, lifting her hand to slap the shit out of him. She saw her hand raise, wavering. Feeling something pulling at the back of her mind, she watched as his eyebrows raised slightly before a grin pulled his features. Her strength failed; the hand fell, but the man caught it before it hit the ground and raised it to his lips in a gentlemanly kiss. She didn't want to watch him, instead looking at the bright, brilliant moon. __**What a lovely moon. If only I could look at it forever and ever and ever…**__ The man leaned over her, blocking the moon from her vision as he removed his glasses. She saw that his eyes were red. She stared, strangely unafraid of him. She felt his breath on her neck before he whispered in her ear. _

"_As you wish, Milady." With those words, she fell into darkness, punctuated by strange dreams of ghouls and the name "Draculina". _

* * *

Fulton let out a slow breath as he was jerked back into his body. If he had been tired before, he was certainly exhausted now from the strain of living his servant's dream. Sitting up slightly, he rubbed his eyes with one hand, removing his glasses. _So far, it was a success though. Poor Seras…_ he thought sadly. _No one should have to go through such terror._ Pulling a stack of paperwork toward him, he used the legal mumbo-jumbo as an excuse to stare into space for the rest of the day, thinking about the memory he had witnessed and the woman he'd met.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, this was rather uninteresting as a chapter, but now we've got some info on where Fulton's going with all this. Plus, I wanted to make Seras a little angrier at Alucard in the beginning, so that he could see more of her fighting nature. I mean, if I get shot through the chest by some guy, my last thoughts aren't going to be very kind towards him.

ALSO: Lithi i thought you died. (hugs) Glad you like it!


	21. Unwelcome Guests

Author's Note: I have Spybot, which updated yesterday. Now it's called Spybot: Search and Destroy. Sadly, every time I run it I just think of Integra going "Search and Destroy! Search and Destroy!" while banging her fist on my laptop desk. I'm a nerd.  
Also, **littlegreenapple**: Of course you can! (Throws lime-green scarf with tiny apples embroidered on the ends) There you go! Welcome to the army!

* * *

Two weeks into the month of October, Fulton woke up in a great mood. He'd had no nightmares for a week, and he had woken up just in time to see the sun peeking over the horizon. Waking up this early wasn't a normal part of the young Hellsing's day, but he just felt too great to be back in bed. So, he got an early shower and dressed in his favorite suit. He felt mentally for his servants, finding Seras in restful, deep sleep while Alucard's mind was still slightly active, suggesting that the elder vampire had only just turned in for the day.

Walking down to the kitchen, he realized that Winston hadn't yet arrived from the long drive he had to take from his flat to the manor. Fulton smiled and put on a pot of coffee for the man before rummaging in the cabinets for some peanut-butter crackers to eat as breakfast. He was sitting at the table eating and drinking coffee when Winston walked in, tying his apron behind him. The man looked surprised.

"Well, good morning Sir. You're up early." Fulton nodded and pointed to the coffeepot, his mouth full of cracker. Swallowing, he took a swig of coffee.

"Isn't it a beautiful day?" Fulton asked cheerfully, standing up to put his plate and cup in the sink. Winston nodded, opening the window over the sink to let some fresh air in.

"Indeed, Sir. Not a cloud in the sky today. We'd better enjoy it before it gets too muggy." Fulton picked up his shoes and smiled as Baskerville padded in with the morning paper, a trick Seras had taught him. Winston took the paper from the hellhound and sat down a bloody strip of raw meat for the dog to eat. Wishing them both a good day, Fulton finished tying his shoes and went out the door.

* * *

Since the dream incident about a month ago, Fulton had often gone to visit Integra's grave. He didn't see her again, but when he spoke to her it was as if she was somehow listening to him. He enjoyed the feeling of peace, although he had been wary of his mental sanity after the first dream. Alucard, however, must have been feeling particularly nice, because he had quelled the young man's fears before explaining that in the time of Abraham van Hellsing, the man could openly call on the spirits of his ancestors for advice. But as time passed and the Hellsing blood thinned the power could only be used-often unknowingly- in times of dire stress. Before leaving the boy, Alucard had openly wondered if Fulton's great mental strength meant that he just may be able to bring back that power; a thought which had stayed at the back of Fulton's mind for a while before he decided what would happen will happen. Although he did want to hear Enoch Hellsing's side of the story…..

But now, per his usual way, Fulton sat on the grass at the side of Integra's grave, talking about nothing in particular.

"Willa's been spotted in five different places alongside the Eastern Coast, but every time I send Alucard or Seras she evades them. Besides that, Alucard was teasing Seras during target practice, and made her sneeze with his shadows. She took out the entire western fence with her recoil. _That _was a treat to have to work out. And Winston's finally taken a liking to Baskerville, although the dog only keeps 2 eyes open around him because Winston can't stand looking at all six." At this, a soft breeze tickled the back of his hair. "I know; you'd think that a sniper who'd fought in two wars wouldn't be such a sissy about things sometimes. But I can't help but like him for it." He smiled. "I suppose this stuff would bore you, though. I know Seras comes out here a lot, too. I always wondered if you enjoy our company or just wish that we'd leave you alone." He sat, looking at the wildflowers against the forest's edge before standing. "Well, I must be going. I'll come back soon." The breeze brushed against him in a farewell gesture as he walked away.

* * *

Going back inside, he saw Winston scrubbing at a stain on the foyer floor with Baskerville sitting in the sunlight by a window. He greeted them before going into his office, where he frowned at the insurmountable amount of paperwork. Shaking his head, he headed toward his desk, cracking his knuckles.

Six hours later, he folded the last letter, and sighed, sitting back in his chair. He patted himself on the back for his work ethic, before a knock on the door aroused him from his self-praise.

"Come in." Winston walked in, a tray of lunch with him. Fulton smiled as he gazed at the tray. "Isn't it almost 2:00? A little late for lunch, Winston." The butler smiled, shrugging as he sat the plate down.

"I actually came in here earlier, but you were so absorbed in your work I didn't want to bother you. I'm impressed; that was a lot to go through in such a short amount of time. Oh by the way, Sir Irons called earlier. Please return the call at your earliest convenience, he said. Also, any particular plans for supper?" Fulton picked up the well-crafted sandwich, turning it in his hand.

"I'm really craving steak-and-kidney pie, Winston." The butler nodded, smiling.

"I'll see what I can do. Until then, I'll leave you to your work." Fulton waited until the door was fully closed behind the man before taking a bite of his sandwich. He finished the thing off in thirty seconds, surprised at how hungry he really was. After he finished, he wiped his face and picked up the phone to return Sir Irons call. It was funny, calling a sixteen-year-old "Sir" anybody, but ever since the elder Sir Irons had died suddenly of bone cancer, his son had taken his rightful-if not early-place at the Council of Twelve. The young boy had looked up to Fulton (who had been secretly happy that he wasn't the youngest anymore) and the two had become close despite the age difference. He spoke politely to the maid, and smiled when he heard the boy's cracking voice on the other line.

"Toby! How are you? I'm sorry to have missed your call earlier."

"Oh, Fulton! I'm sorry to have called you at an inconvenient time." The younger boy's speech was polite as his father's had been. Fulton grinned, and the two spoke nonchalantly about the weather and soccer until they finally got to the nature of the call.

"In all honesty, I wanted to know what you planned on being for the ball you're throwing on Halloween." Fulton sighed.

"I have no idea. You?"

"Me either." Toby Irons groaned on the other end, listening to someone in the background. "Yes? Okay- Fulton I have to go. One of my father's old landlords is here for a meeting."

"Good luck with that, call me back if you know what you're going to be." Fulton ended the call and laced his fingers together. It had been Seras' idea to hold a Halloween ball every year since he'd been twelve. He thought it was particularly because Seras loved dressing up in silly costumes. His fifteenth birthday stood out in his mind, because she and Winston had dressed up in drag on a dare from the young boy. He still blushed slightly at the memory of Seras bright pink afro that clashed with her red eyes.

* * *

Shaking his head, he heard a thump coming from the hallway. _Boots_ his mind immediately thought, before a slightly shaken Winston opened the door slightly.

"Um, Sir- you have guests?" he said uncertainly, glancing behind him as someone coughed quietly. Fulton gave Winston a what-on-earth-who-are-they? Look, to which Winston widened his eyes and made a face. "You haven't been acquainted yet, but may I present to you the three heads of…I'm sorry who did you say you were again?" An American Southern voice sounded from behind the butler.

"Our Fawther's great Section XIII, the Iscariot Orgenizaytion." Winston raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, the…Iscariot Organization would like to speak with you." Fulton frowned, nodding for them to come in. Winston bowed and widened the door, allowing the three figures into the room. Seeing the figure at the head, Fulton cringed in disgust and rose, narrowing his eyes.

"Aunt."

* * *

Afterword: OOOOOOHHHHH SNAPPPP! (Wait, I thought Seras killed-) Upbupbup! (Holds up hand) All will be explained next chapter. I bet you can't wait, huh?

In other news, Fulton's good day just went down the hatch. Sorry, guy.


	22. Section XIII's Problem

**Author's Note: Attention! Mine and Ketti's updates are all bacon-coated lies. You can't believe a thing either of us says. Actually, **_**we**_** can't believe what we say. That is all. **

* * *

Jessica Isabelle Hellsing stared with contempt at her nephew, who was frozen behind his desk. Fulton really didn't know what to think. Seras had methodically went around killing all of the Hellsing family that had been still living at the time of the coup; something he knew about but never really asked or wanted the details of. But here was his father's older sister, standing as alive as ever. She had cut her hair into a bob, and it was straight and neat over her cassock. She wore the robes of a priest, but a tiny pin in the shape of the Hellsing family crest rested on her left shoulder. She narrowed her icy blue eyes at the boy, who drew his face into a neutral expression. He took a look at her companions in the silence: an American girl with two long carrot-colored braids and a nun's outfit and an elderly Italian man in bishop's clothing. He watched as his aunt stepped forward.

"You filthy brat, don't you dare call me aunt. It's because of you our whole family is dead!" She spit out around clenched teeth, pointing a finger in the boy's face. Fulton snapped his head to the side, out of the way of her hands and the American girl sneered, chuckling. Fulton fought to keep his voice level.

"We can talk about that later. For now, please introduce your companions- I'm being a bad host." He forced a smile on his face, walking around the side of the desk to the man with his hand outstretched. His aunt looked shocked, clearly expecting a fight. The man shook Fulton's hand before taking a cloth from inside his robe to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"I'm afraid we aren't being good guests. I'm Archbishop Ettore Grimalde. This young lady is Sister Bridgette Peters, who is with us representing the nunneries in America. And you are, it seems, well acquainted with Sister Jessica, who works in the orphanage at the Vatican."

"Fulton Abraham Hellsing, head of Hellsing. It's a pleasure to meet you, Father." Fulton shook the man's hand, slightly surprised at the friendly ease of the Archbishop. His family's journal often spoke of the harshness and unfriendly rivalry of the Vatican's Section XIII. Perhaps things had changed in those long years? Dismissing it, he turned to the American. "It's a pleasure, Sister." The younger woman shook his hand contemptuously, giving him a wary glare.

"Protestant." She said curtly. Fulton felt his grin get even stiffer.

"Like I said, nice to meet you. I hope we'll get along well." Sister Bridgette flared her nostrils and looked away, her brown eyes flashing with something unidentifiable. Father Ettore sighed softly.

"Sisters, if you please; may I have a moment alone with Sir Fulton? Perhaps his manservant may get you some refreshments?" Winston jumped from his place beside the door, bowing slightly.

"Of course, ladies I'd love to attend to you in the sitting room downstairs, if you don't object." Fulton watched his aunt frown, but at the same moment Sister Bridgette's stomach gave a loud rumble and the young woman blushed. Finally, his aunt nodded and the two women left with Winston in the lead. Father Ettore smiled gently, raising his hands in a what-can-you-do gesture.

"I'm afraid my companions aren't being very Christian-like today." He apologized. Fulton shook his head, smiling.

"I'm afraid my aunt and I weren't in very good terms a few years ago. I actually thought she was dead. As for your American, I think she's just a bit paranoid if you don't mind me saying." Father Ettore nodded with a grim expression.

"Sister Bridgette is not yet twenty, but she's had a hard life. She is from Alabama, I believe. When she was sixteen, she watched her father kill her mother and three siblings before shooting her and killing himself. She woke up later in the hospital, learning that he missed her brain by a fraction of an inch and she had survived. She joined the nunnery later, trying to fill the void her father created in her. Needless to say, she has trust issues." Fulton listened to the sad story, feeling a pang of empathy for the girl. He knew how it was to be completely alone, with no one to comfort you. But unlike her, he had always had Seras and Winston to fill the gap his family's betrayal had created. He swallowed, thinking.

"And…Sister Jessica?" he asked. Father Ettore nodded.

"This is a…unusual story. We found Sister Jessica bloodstained and half-mad at the steps of the orphanage, begging sanctuary from "a monster". When we admitted her and got her cleaned and fed, she still wouldn't tell us what she was running from, only that her entire family and her child was dead, and she was all that was left. Soon after, we received a very strange visitor. I was just a new bishop then, but I still remember the way that she was, like a demon from Hell." The archbishop took a breath. "She said her name was Seras Victoria. She was looking for, and I quote: "a Jessicabelle." Rather strange play on words. I told her I didn't know anything about a Jezebel around here. Long story short, we had a long talk about killing on Holy Soil, and Seras agreed that if Sister Jessica stayed here with us in the Vatican, and did nothing else to hurt you, her nephew, Seras would spare her life. I was extremely grateful toward her."

Fulton watched the Father's face turn dreamy. "I saw quite a bit of Seras after that, as she checked in on our Sister every year. She even agreed that your aunt should be the next Regenerator. Thankfully, we haven't had a need for a Regenerator until now…." Fulton stared at the man.

"What's happened now?" Father Ettore looked startled, turning sheepishly to the younger man.

"Well, that's what I've come to ask you about. Please, we should wait until closer to dark. I have to speak to Seras as well about this matter. Our informants have-well, closer to dark." Fulton touched the elderly man's shoulder.

"I'll have Winston prepare rooms for you all. I insist you stay the night here." The archbishop looked as though he'd object, but Fulton held up a hand. "I truly insist. You've come all this way, please rest tonight. No expense will be spared." Smiling, he showed the man to the door, calling for Winston. After seeing the two off, he closed his door before standing thoughtfully with his hand on the knob. _I wonder what's going on?_

* * *

Fulton sat alone in the dining room, eating his steak-and-kidney pie. His guests had finished their meal earlier and excused themselves-or rather Father Ettore had excused them seeing as his aunt wouldn't look at him and Sister Bridgette wouldn't speak at all, although he had felt her eyes on him the entire time. He felt Seras coming up behind him, and looked over his shoulder as he raised his hand in greeting, his mouth full of food. Seras peered over his shoulder before taking the seat next to him.

"I miss steak-and-kidney pie. It used to be one of my favorite foods," she said wistfully, her red eyes trained on the dish. Fulton spooned a bite and handed it to her, but she took a sniff and gagged, turning away. "Even the smell gets me now…" Fulton shrugged, taking the bite.

"It must be rough, eating only one taste for eternity." Seras looked at him strangely.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, blood. Only blood. For the rest of your life, only the taste of blood." Seras smiled, and her shadowy arm dispersed to run along his hair.

"Blood has many different tastes. For instance, O-type blood from a fresh, timid virgin is Master's favorite. My personal preference is adrenaline-infused B-negative. The hormones give it a rough texture, but the kick afterwards is worth it." Fulton stared at her before picking up the dish to slurp the gravy. Seras gave a disapproving frown, but said nothing since they were alone. Licking his lips, he grabbed his napkin.

"We have guests tonight Seras." He put his napkin neatly on the plate for Winston, backing up his chair and stretching. "Shall we go talk to them?" Seras nodded, mumbling something about the air smelling different. He caught Winston in the hallway, telling him to send a message for Father Ettore to meet them in the sitting room. He was standing by the empty fireplace when the man walked in. Seras brightened immediately.

"Ettore! How nice to see you!" she said, walking over and wrapping the man in a hug with her one good hand as her shadows were jumping excitedly. The elderly Italian held her face, looking deep into her crimson eyes.

"Seras Victoria," he said slowly and gently, turning her head in the light. "You haven't aged a day, you know. You are as beautiful a woman as ever." Seras blushed.

"I've never been beautiful, Ettore. Just cute as can be, in the form of a teenager. I'll never be a woman…." She winced, pulling back from him as her eyes darkened. Fulton frowned, seeing the Seras of his youth hiding in the young lady's friendly guise. But as quick as it was there, it was gone and Seras was running her hands through the man's short gray locks.

"But there have been worse than I- like poor Helena. But that's a story for another day. Now, about you, Mr. Salt-and-Pepper?" she teased. Father Ettore shook his head.

"Just Salt; I'm afraid I'm an old man now. I must look disgusting to you, who saw me as I was 18 years ago. I was still a vibrant middle-aged man then, not the old fogy I am today." Seras smiled and shook her head.

"My Master always said that age was beautiful, and now I understand what he means. To us, who never age a day; age is something precious and unobtainable. You should be proud of what you are." Father Ettore smiled.

"I am…until the arthritis hits!" Laughing, he went to sit in one of the chairs. Fulton sat in the other as Seras took her customary place at his shoulder. "Now, about this meeting." He turned to the door as Winston led the two women inside. Fulton felt Seras stiffen at his shoulder, but she said nothing as the nuns walked into the room to stand behind the archbishop's chair. Fulton saw Bridgette's eyes go wide at Seras' eyes, and he knew when her face reached a new level of horror that she had smiled at them, showing off her fangs.

"I'll let Sister Jessica start with her time in the South of France. Sister?" Father Ettore smiled expectantly as Jessica frowned, but closed her eyes and rattled off a report, formal and police-style.

"A few months ago, I was called to assist a monastery in the South of France which had a sort of…bat problem. These bats were flying everywhere, and the livestock were going missing. After going there to assess the situation, I found the problem to be located in an abandoned villa, where ghouls and a head vampire seemed to be staying. I attempted to raid the area, and killed all the ghouls except for two; twins who appeared to be an intelligent form of ghoul. They were protecting the head vampiress, a woman with chestnut hair and a distinct French accent. This woman engaged me in limited combat before fleeing the scene. It surprised me because she was able to break through all five of my holy barriers, and even my arrows did nothing to stop her." Jessica looked irritated at having to relate her failure, but nodded and stepped back. Fulton sat wide-eyed, looking questioningly at Seras who was tight-lipped, but nodded. Father Ettore cleared his throat before gesturing to Bridgette, who stepped forward in Jessica's place. She spoke much less formally, giving more detail.

"About a few weeks ago, I guess it was about May 31st, I was outside the convent gatherin' sum wildflowers for the tables in the great hall when the convent bell started a-ringen'. I ran back to see the entire convent was on fare, and the flames was shootin' outta the bell tower too. I grabbed my gun-" she raised the side of her robes to show the old-fashioned pistol on her belt-"I never go nowhere without my gun, ya see. And I saw _her_ there. That same lady Sister Jessie saw, but she didn't have no twins with her at the time. And I shot her, but she just laughed and pulled her head back into place, yelling something at me in French, because I took French I in high school so I was able to tell the words apart. She said "_Je profaner cette èglise au nom de Monsieur Feu! Blasphème apportera les feux de l'enfer!"_ Now, my French ain't nothin' to go by, because I failed French I. So, I just know that she said something about the church and "fires of hell". Now, everyone …died in my convent except for me, because I was able to get out of the fare's way. I dunno what happened to the lady, but after that I came to Italy and met Sister Jessie and heard her story."

Father Ettore nodded and Bridgette stepped back.

"And these are only two of the stories. I also have heard from many informants in China, Russia, Poland, Romania, and England about this woman wreaking havoc, and each time the tales of her make her stronger and stronger. People have gone missing, and they've started whispering "Nosferatu" in the cracks of the Church. Now Section XIII deals with these supernatural forces in the Catholic area, but many of these cases are happening in your part, Sir Fulton. Do you have any information to add? I'm sure you've already heard of this newer threat." Father Ettore leaned back in the chair, lacing his fingers. Fulton opened his mouth, but Seras stepped forward.

"Ettore, please wait and let my Master come." Father Ettore looked surprised.

"Your…master?" he said uncertainly. Seras smiled.

"Yes, the one who made me. He's downstairs. I'm still his fledgling, but-well, you'll see." Fulton stared at Seras. _Why does Alucard need to be brought into this? _he asked mentally. Seras ignored him, her eyes blanking out as she called Alucard. A few moments later, the three Catholics jumped as the man himself phased through the floor to grin at them. Fulton raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to come over.

"So the Vatican's still sticking their noses into everything? It's nice to know that some things never change," he said to Seras as he went to stand by her side. "Is that the Ettore that you dream about sometimes?" he said. Seras turned red and smacked his arm.

"Don't say things! People will make assumptions!" She turned bashfully to the Father. "I dreamed once about when you and I met up in Bangladesh and he hasn't stopped berating me about it since he learned." Father Ettore turned slightly pink and nodded.

"Of course, that was a-well, we always were such-you know how things go, when-that was fun, wasn't it Seras?" Seras nodded, giggling as she purposely ignored the look on Alucard's face. Fulton shook his head. _Don't make him go crazy from jealousy again, or I'm sticking you both out in the sun _he warned. Seras stopped laughing and moved closer to the vampire, touching his jacked briefly.

"Ettore, this is my Master, Alucard. Alucard, this is the new Section XIII. Father Ettore is the archbishop, Sister Bridgette is from America, and Sister_ Jessie _is the new Anderson, of sorts." Fulton waved away the introductions, standing and facing Seras.

"What does Alucard have to offer about this predicament, may I ask?" he said finally. "We can pretty much tell them everything-"

"Sit down." Seras commanded, then closed her eyes. "It's – I think….It's about time I told you what happened all those years ago." Fulton made a confused sound. Seras pursed her lips, and when she opened her eyes he saw the pain. "It's about time you heard the full story with Enoch. I-I'll start at the beginning…"

* * *

Author's Note: OHGODOHGODOHGOD we're about ¾ of the way through the story! Oh no! You mean it'll be over soon? Yep. Sorry. ^_^ We still have ¼ to go, though.  
**Also, what happened in Bangladesh? Hmm…I'd like to make it a story, but I need your input! Tell me a crazy thing to happen to Seras and a young **_**(about 20)**_** Ettore and I might make a story from it! I might make a story from every one of yours! It's gonna be fun!**


	23. The God Restriction

Author's Note: Name pronunciation:  
Alone: (Ah-lawn)  
Ettore: (Et-tor-ay)  
Bridgette: (Brig-ge-teh)  
Wilhelmina: (Willa-mina)  
Enoch: (Eknock)

You people are going to hate me. You're really going to hate me. Because this is it: The Big Reveal. What I call the Enoch Incident. The Big WhatthehellhappenedtoSerasandAlucard. I hope you've got your s*** together, because it's about to go down. And I know I'm going to get a lot of reviews that say:

_Dear Jubi- you suck. I hate this. I hate you. I waited for some 20-odd chapters for this? This is terrible. Dishonor on you, your family, and your cow. Goodbye forever. Love, an angry ex-fan. _

But that's okay. At least you reviewed, even if it's to tell me that I suck. Which I already know. Anyway, get to reading!

* * *

"It was right after the death of Integra Hellsing. The government had tried to take over the Hellsing cooperation, but at that moment a lawyer came up and said that Integra had a son, who was then almost 40 and had a wife, although he didn't know about his mother and who she was. But by default, Enoch Isaac Hellsing became my new boss, and Alucard's new master. At the time, I wasn't commanded by runes, but that was Enoch's initiation ceremony. After that I had two masters, like now. Enoch took the whole vampire thing well enough, and he was a businessman at heart so the office work was nothing to him.

I became friends with his wife, Abigail Rosario Hellsing. For ten years everything was well. We were…happy. Alucard and I worked on making me a better vampire and, of course, finished off the dredges of FREAKS left in the wake of Millennium. Abigail and Enoch had a young son, Fulton's grandfather Gabriel. We all called him Gabe. It was about the time that Gabe was 3 years old that Wilhelmina came.

Wilhelmina had been part of Millennium. That's where they had got the DNA to make their FREAK chips. She had somehow gotten ahold of some blood and became alive, and a true Draculina- and yet she wasn't. She was…something we'd never faced before. She had come back for Alucard."

Seras looked at Alucard, who continued where she left off.

"Mina had come back to find me again, but I didn't want her. She had given in to society, and betrayed me. I wanted nothing to do with her. Whatever lust, affection, or care I had for her was more than gone. I had Seras to take care of, but Mina wouldn't take no for an answer. She was enraged, and had no control over her powers. She engaged me in battle, but Enoch was having a time with her previous servant- a woman who went by the name Alone. He called me to his aid, and Seras was left to fight Mina alone . Sadly, Abigail was there. When Enoch and I arrived, Abigail was dead and Mina vanished. Seras?"

Seras closed her eyes, a crimson streak slowly making its way down her cheek.

"Abby-she….an attack by Wilhelmina had gone awry and I was so far away and…." Her voice caught as more tears came. "And she was-it was headed toward Gabe, and she-she-she jumped in front of it, and it shot right through her-" Seras ended in sobs, collapsing against Fulton's chair. He stood and maneuvered her into the chair, stroking her hair and soothing her mentally. "And when they came, she had died and she just…she had wanted me to take her soul….and, oh God help me I did!" she became unintelligible through her bawling, and soon gave up and just sat with her head on Fulton's shirt, staining it permanently. Alucard gave her a sad look over his glasses and explained to the group what she meant.

"When we take blood, we take their souls into us. After a while, with many souls, they become sort of a hum in the back of our mind. Their person, who made them who they were, is lost among the multitude of souls. After we use them to be regenerated in battle, they go on to Heaven or Hell or wherever they go when they die. But until then they are lost, wandering aimlessly inside of us and never giving us peace with their moaning. It's the life we must live with for our choice of immortality." He seemed to say the last part to remind Seras of something, because she nodded and began trying to dry her tears.

"Yes…our choice…" she murmured, hiccupping slightly. Alucard continued.

"Mina wasn't dead, but she was weak and _human_ so I followed her all the way to Romania, where I finally killed her, or so I thought. But before I could check, Seras called me back to England. I arrived to-" Seras stopped him.

"Master, they should hear all of it. Fulton, at least, deserves to know what happened." She wiped the last of the tears away and tried to talk despite her shaky voice.

"Enoch was…more than devastated by Abby's death. He blamed me; he said it was my fault-if I had been paying better attention, this would never have happened. He was ri-"

"Wrong." Alucard had opened his mouth, but Fulton was the one to speak. He felt Alucard giving him an incredulous look but he ignored it. "It was an accident, it sounds like to me. He was grieving, and he chose to force the blame on you instead of Mina, only because you were around. That's a stage of grief. It's not your fault." Seras looked away, not acknowledging or denying Fulton's statement. She took a breath and continued.

"He asked me if I had turned Abby into one of my souls. I tried to explain that that's what she wanted but-he wouldn't listen. He literally went mad. He tortured me. Forced me to-commanded me to lie on the roof in the sun. I'm better now, but the sunlight on me, at the young age I was….it didn't kill me, but it was pure agony. I couldn't help but call for Master. He was the only thing I could think of." Fulton shivered as he remembered the dream-memory he lived through with Seras unknowingly, and the pain that hadn't left his mind even though he'd never experienced any of it.

"He knew, somehow, that Alucard was coming, and he…he did the most awful thing-he told me to kill my Master. It was a death threat-there was no way I'd even manage to compete at Master's level of power! I couldn't say no, because of the runes. I couldn't even warn my master. I could only fight for my life, without telling him why I was attacking him." She gulped and looked at Alucard, and Fulton could just imagine the horror that she felt, attacking the one person she revered among all others. "Luckily, he was able to read my memories. Or I guess I should say unluckily…." Fulton looked at Alucard, who had been listening to the tale with more and more signs of discomfort and wrath, but now he had the shadows in the room practically dancing in rage. Fulton cleared his throat and touched the vampire's coat, a subtle reminder to calm himself. Alucard shook his head and walked toward the fireplace, phasing halfway through it before turning and growling. "_No one_ takes my Childe away from me." He vanished. Seras sniffed.

Suddenly, it was like a train hit Fulton as the past few months caught up and slammed his mind. The genius' gray matter was in hyper speed, putting the thoughts together. Between Renfield, Integra, Seras, Alucard, Winston…he began pacing the room, talking and waving his hands in an animated matter.

"That's what the problem's been this whole time! I look like Enoch-hell, I even understand why he did what he did, but that's not the point! Alucard's been afraid that I'd take you away from him, you! Seras Victoria, the one woman who didn't betray him. He's fought so hard for you, and now he's become a paranoid jerk! God, it's so damn simple! Even Winston was a threat; he's like the jealous boyfriend who…" He stopped, and his jaw dropped. "No, he's the jealous King." _to be his Queen…._Fulton nodded. _Thank you, Grandmother Integra. Now I understand, but about the sacrifice I just don't…._ Fulton gasped.

"Abby!"

* * *

Seras jumped a foot in the air. Fulton turned pink , excusing himself for screaming. Seras frowned. She probed him mentally, but Fulton didn't want to tell her just yet what had to be done. She was in enough pain as it was.

"Well then, from where I left off? Master learned what happened and was _beyond_ enraged. He began to kill. Everything. He gave Enoch the ultimatum: Give me back to his control, or every soldier would be dead. Every councilmember would die. He'd go kill the Parliament, he'd go kill the Queen. Enoch finally gave in and called the Council of Twelve secretly as Alucard was killing all the soldiers. I was still under orders, feebly trying to fight him while he killed everyone. He slung me over and broke my leg. I had to crawl over to try and fight him. The councilmen came and they did what I've only read about. First, Enoch commanded me to get in my coffin, and he froze me in place. I could still see and hear everything, but I couldn't move. Master came over me and he…." Seras blushed slightly. "That's something else. The Council of Twelve has the power to evoke what's called the "God Restriction". As you probably know, Fulton: Master and I are under the Cromwell Restriction System, otherwise known as the Control Art Restriction System. Powerful, but if we wanted to we can get around it, and there are loopholes to what we can and can't do on our own. This is very different from the God Restriction. The God Restriction is omnipotent. There is no leeway. It's this symbol, here." Seras pointed to a particular symbol on her glove. Fulton nodded.

"The God Restriction can only be done unanimously by the Council of Twelve, and _they_ can only do it when there is a spoken or attempted threat on the Queen by one of us. Well, Master did say that he'd kill the Queen, so they did it. I felt the pain as keenly as he did; it was torture, maddening. I couldn't stop it, and I felt him-" she choked again, grabbing Fulton's hand and wiping a tear. "I felt him call for me to help him. To save him. I couldn't do a thing. It was so….I felt nothing but his terror. It almost drove me insane. I called out to him before he simply vanished. It was the most terrifying feeling I'd ever had." She looked at the humans assembled around her.

"You have to understand; no matter how far away I was, I was always able to communicate with Master mentally. He has my blood, so I am a part of him now, until I drink his in return. It's just that sort of thing." Father Ettore nodded, and Jessica looked sick. Bridgette, who had taken to sitting on the arm of Fulton's chair to better hear the story urged "Go on, what next?"

"Well, I panicked because I couldn't hear Master anymore. I was alone. The last thing I remember is Enoch leaning over me, telling me it was my fault all this happened, and if I was ever unlucky enough to be woken up again, my orders were this and this and this. Then the coffin was being nailed shut and then-nothing."

* * *

Seras blushed and fiddled with her hands. "This is the part I feel most awful about. Fulton, come here." Fulton walked over to Seras, kneeling at her feet so she could stroke his hair.

"When I woke up, I killed that boy to eat. And I saw you-you, who looked almost exactly like Enoch. I was filled with pure fury and the need for vengeance. I was resolved to kill you then, but then I decided that if I made you trust me, then killing you would make revenge all that sweeter." Fulton pulled away, confusion and sadness in his eyes.

"Wha-Seras, what are you talking about?" Seras looked down, her hands returning to her lap.

"I was going to do it when you were thirteen, but….I couldn't. I even stood over your bed and tried to pull your heart out, but I couldn't. I wasn't my Master, no matter how much I tried to be. I had grown to care for you like a brother, and I felt terrible. I looked up at that mirror that was across from your bed, and I saw the truth. I didn't hate you; I hated myself, and I hated Enoch for what he had done. After that, I tried to be my true self with you. I didn't know when was the right time to tell you this, but now is as good as ever." Seras winced slightly, tears forming again at the corners of her eyes. "Forgive me." Fulton nodded and patted Seras' hand.

"There's nothing to forgive. I understand, really." She smiled at him, and Bridgette sniffed and turned away, slightly touched at the scene. Fulton spoke the truth; he did understand Seras and didn't blame her for her anger. It was in the right place, even if her heart hadn't been. Fulton stood, and addressed the crowd.

"I believe we've all had an informative, taxing night. Let's meet tomorrow afternoon after dinner here. I'm thinking that I have a plan, but we'll have to all be 100% positive on our positions for it to work. Sleep well, everyone." He nodded and led the Catholic crew to the door, where he bid them goodnight at the stairs. Seras slipped quietly through the floor to go check on Alucard. Fulton walked to his office, grabbing a pen and a slip of paper before writing a tiny note. He gave it to a soldier with direct expression to be as fast as he could in delivering it. He then went off to bed himself, turning over a brilliant plan to defeat Willa in his mind, as well as a way to get Seras to agree to it.

* * *

The bell rang in the middle of the night, startling a man out of his shoes. The man, grumbling about late-night callers, went to the door. The man opened the door to see a soldier standing there with the Hellsing crest. The soldier held out a slip of paper, which the man read.

_Dear Renfield: I must meet with you tomorrow morning to ask you an important question. Can you make it? Send a reply with my soldier. Your friend, Sir Fulton Abraham Hellsing. _

* * *

**Afterword: Whew! That was a lot of typing. Forgive me, ya'll. Take away my scarf if you must, but please remember the good times we had together…..New chapter coming soon, I think. I may work more on my one-shots. (which you all should go read. Subtleadvertisinghinthint  
I have another AlucardxSeras one called ****The River's Just a River****, which is really saddening. So go check it out if you need a good cry. Okay, enough shameless advertising. I'll leave now.) **


	24. The Brunswick Hat Shoppe

Author's Note: _(is in the stockades) _Um, well you could have done worse I guess. I neglected to mention that the last chapter wasn't _ALL_ I was going to write about the Enoch incident; I just wanted to get it out there. We're going to be fine-tuning things a bit before the end. Remember, we do have a couple of chapters to go through before we end this thing. I'm aiming for 35-40. I'm sorry if I made you guys worry that I wasn't going to go deeper into this incident. I know how much we all love reading about psychological horror. 0_o

Thanks to my good watcher WhiteChalkLP for catching the month mistake I made last chapter. She only figured out that I can't tell the months of the year. May doesn't come after October. Sorry. My bad. _L'auteur devenu fou!_

Sorry guys, this is the clothing episode. I've tried to stop describing everyone's clothes so much, but it had to be done since we're…well, you'll see.  
Also, sorry for all the crazy Romanian going on. ^_^ If you're true fans, you'll go to Google Translate to figure out what it says, unless you're an expert in Romanian language.

* * *

Fulton walked down the boulevard, enjoying the sunny London streets. He was dressed in a bright green polo and khaki pants, perfect for the cool autumn air. He walked along, looking for any sight of Renfield. He felt Renfield's note in his pocket, and fingered it protectively.

_Meet me at the address below, and we'll go talk at the Brunswick Hat Shoppe. __**R.M.R.**_

He finally found the destination- a tree lined path overlooking the Thames. He stopped under the red and orange leaves, gazing up in silent wonder at the beauty. He looked around, and checking his pocket watch he realized that he was early. He sat on a bench, next to a woman reading a book. After sitting in silence for a few minutes, he spotted Renfield coming toward him under the trees from the other side of the path. He was surprised at how _normal_ Renfield seemed. The man was dressed in a light gray turtleneck and navy-blue pants, having left his usual suspenders and chinos behind. Even his hair was tamed down into something manageable, although his owlish glasses still gave him an otherworldly air. He grinned widely and waved, and Fulton stood to meet him in the center of the path.

"Good to see you, m'boy!" Renfield said in his usual cheery tone, grinning and grabbing Fulton's shoulders in a half-hug.

"Good to see you too, Renfield. I'm glad to see you left your garden at home," he said, remembering the last time he'd seen the man and his unusual headgear. Renfield laughed.

"Yes, perhaps we'll have some time to ourselves without any vampires breaking down. The place we're going is crawling with them, but they won't bother us if we don't bother them."

"Where exactly are we going? You said the Brunswick Hat Shoppe but I've never heard of that. Is it in Westfield?" Renfield shook his head.

"No, I daresay you haven't heard of it, m'boy. It's not well known-well, to human folk that is. You have to be supernatural, or know someone who's supernatural to get to the place. It's a-well, you'll see when we get there."

"By the way," Fulton said, "I have your puppetry book. It didn't help at all! I mean, Seras told me about what happened with Mina but I don't understand what puppetry had to do with it." Renfield smiled strangely.

"Oh, I daresay if Seras told you about what happened, you'll learn more of it soon enough. We're only going to the Shoppe because the person that can help you more than I is there, and they'll be quite cross if we're late, so let's hurry okay?" Renfield walked even faster, pushing Fulton ahead of him back onto the boulevard and down a couple of side streets before stopping at a dead end. He turned and grabbed Fulton in a bear hug. "Better close your eyes, m'boy. If you think phasing gives you a weak stomach, this'll really turn your guts." Fulton barely had time to take his advice before he felt him leave, with his stomach copping out of the ride. He groaned when they stopped and Renfield let go, swaying slightly. He could hear Renfield's voice, anxious in his ear. He nodded to whatever Renfield was saying, opening his eyes after a moment.

"I did try to warn you, my dear boy. It's not like phasing at all," he said with his usual oblivious tone, and Fulton nodded again, still feeling rather green. Phasing often left him with a quick jolt, like going down too fast on a roller coaster. This was a thousand times worse. He felt as though his stomach was back on the boulevard and was taking its sweet time catching up. Looking up, he frowned at the giant warehouse before him. It was surrounded on all sides by desolate, crumbly buildings which looked as though they'd been abandoned years ago. The outside of the warehouse itself wasn't in the best of shape, faded and patchy. The letters "Bru k H Sh pe" were on the side, the paint peeling and faded completely in some areas.

"How in the world can you tell it once said Brunswick Hat Shoppe?" Fulton asked skeptically. Renfield smiled.

"Well, because many of us can remember when it _was_ still the Brunswick Hat Shoppe. It was a factory that made hats, but they fell out around World War II. Many of these places went bankrupt because the workers were all evacuating for Stateside and never returned. Then we got ahold of this place, and a few memory alterations later, this place never existed at all, except to us who know about it," Renfield explained as he guided Fulton to the entrance. "Now, it may seem a bit unsettling in here, but don't worry; as long as you're with me no one will harm you." Fulton frowned at the thought of malevolent beings, but he trusted the crackpot succubus enough to follow him inside.

* * *

The inside of the Shoppe was in stark contrast to the outside. It was well cared for, and looked about as peculiar as the creatures that mingled within. It looked as if a modern-day nightclub had a baby with a Victorian salon, and it worked in a rather strange way. The bar had a variety of drinks that looked suspiciously like seawater and human body fluids mixed together, and an orchestra played a slow, waltzy number on a wooden stage. Renfield led his gawking companion to an empty booth and sat him down, leaning in close to his ear to say he was getting them drinks before melding into the crowd.

Fulton looked around at the menagerie of people around him, enjoying the easygoing atmosphere. His eyes alighted on a young lady of about 14 who looked like she had stepped right out of a 1938 promotional poster for the _BDM._ She was speaking in an animated voice to a young man in a powdered wig, who was munching on what suspiciously resembled a human brain. Mr. Wig swallowed and said something in a low voice, to which the girl gasped and chattered on in sharper tones, shaking her head vehemently. An Asian woman in the corner let out a sneeze, lighting the floor around her in flames for 5 seconds and frightening a satyr. A mournful looking young lady sat in a corner, dressed all in green. She stood and excused herself before vanishing. Fulton stared at the spot she vacated before Renfield appeared from nowhere with a platter. He tch-ed sadly, setting the platter down to reveal a normal-looking English teatime, along with a bottle of something strange which Renfield pulled towards himself.

"I wonder whose poor family she's off to." Renfield said as he sat down, pulling a bag from his jacket. He opened the bag slightly to grab a handful of ants and munched thoughtfully as Fulton prepared a cup of tea.

"What do you mean?" Fulton said as he stared at a new brain being brought to Mr. Wig while the German girl snarled her nose at the sight. "The lady in green?"

"Yes; she's the banshee of lore, although if you call her that she'll be angry at you. She's really just a fairy who got on the bad side of a servitude curse. She has to answer the call of Death." Renfield said, as nonchalant as if he'd just told Fulton that it had rained at his house yesterday. Fulton nodded slowly.

"What's that guy with the powdered wig eating? Is that a brain?" he said, trying to be as offhanded as his associate. Renfield nodded, gathering another handful of ants.

"Sure is. He's a wraith; one of the last of his kind. They feast on human brains, the more doped up the better. Really dwindling these days, though. Hardly enough females to go around between them." Fulton kept up, asking about every single person he could see. Nymphs, satyrs, bogies, demons, witches; everything from any mythology around the world, every monster that could hide under the bed was assembled in some way here. He was also surprised to see kinder, brighter beings here as well; wiccans with the strange smell of herbs, a mermaid who sat in a large pool of water, even a voodoo priest and priestess in the corner. And he even saw the telltale signs of the many vampires that walked among the crowd, sipping on the blood-infused (wine?). He felt strange, alone: the only human among the creatures of myths.

He turned to study Renfield, opening his mouth as he watched the man take a large draft of whatever was in the bottle. Renfield smiled in a friendly manner, and Fulton began to ask where the person they had come to meet was when the entire Shoppe went deathly quiet. Looking around for the cause of the absence of noise, he saw the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on.

* * *

The woman looked to be about 30 although she couldn't have been more than 4 ½ feet tall, with soft green hair that flowed in its own wind. She wore a long green gown that looked as though the sun had been filtered through the light of the forest canopy straight onto the fabric. She had two large, angelic wings that were a soft brown, barky color. The entire Shoppe stared for a moment before turning to point and whisper in groups, conversations jumbling together until the words became a din, then a dull roar. The woman walked effortlessly through the crowd before reaching the booth where the two sat. Renfield jumped up, grinning and wrapping the woman in an embrace. She beamed back at the man, standing on her tiptoes to return his hug. She cupped his face, tilting her head up to better look at him. Fulton could only stare as she opened her mouth and began to speak in a foreign language, the tone lilting and strangely melodic to his ear.

"Este uimitor! Nu ai îmbatrânit o zi de când ne-am întâlnit ultima data. Când a fost asta? Trebuie sa fi fost timpul lui Henry VIII, corect?" she said in a cheery tone. Renfield shrugged, scratching his head thoughtfully.

"Cred ca poate….A trecut prea mult timp; ar trebui sa ne-am întâlnit mai devreme Ariel," he replied reproachfully. The woman laughed, nodding before looking over at Fulton. She grinned, and he noticed that her eyes were every color of the rainbow; shifting colors against a gray backdrop.

"Nu vrei sa-mi prietena ta actuala? Acesta nu va face sa ma prezint, Renny." Renfield blushed but said nothing, turning to face Fulton, who had been listening with a lost expression on his face. Renfield cleared his throat taking the woman's hands off of his face and keeping them in his own.

"Fulton m'boy, this is Ariel, whom you may have heard of as the Archangel Ariel of Christian religion. In reality, she's a Zână, a type of fairy from Romania. Ariel, acest lucru este Fulton Hellsing. El este mostenitorul mostenire Avram van Hellsing lui. Îti amintesti toate astea?" Ariel's eyes widened and she made a sound of agreement.

"Da, da….saraci Contele, a fost transformat intr-un sclav, nu?" she asked Renfield, who nodded gravely. Fulton stood, holding out his hand for the woman to shake. Ariel took his hand, speaking to him; Fulton almost fainted when something traveled in his arm and he could understand her language as though he'd been speaking Romanian all his life.

"It's nice to meet you, Mister Hellsing. I'm Ariel, and I believe we'll get along just fine, yeah?" Fulton nodded, mouth agape. Renfield laughed.

"Just one of Ariel's many talents, I'm afraid. As long as you're touching some part of her skin, you'll be able to understand every word she ever says. A Zână's power resides in the contact they have with other beings." Fulton finally managed to close his jaws, swallowing and sitting back down, feeling dizzy. Ariel looked concerned, sitting across from him next to Renfield, who acted blissful and oblivious as he always did. Ariel took Fulton's hand once more, leaning forward so that her soft voice could be heard over the ruckus.

"Renny tells me that you need answers to the questions you have surrounding your ancestors." Fulton nodded.

"Yes, I'm not really sure where to begin." Ariel held up a hand, her face slowly going blank. Fulton felt the telltale signs of someone sifting around in his mind, and let his mind become vacant of all thought in an effort to help her. After a moment, Ariel gave a small nod.

"I see. That is quite the problem, but by looking into the past we can easily solve it." Fulton made a surprised noise.

"The past?" he said, slightly suspicious. Ariel smiled.

"Those who invoke me ask for truth. _Tollis nubibus et videbo est devium. _"Lift away the clouds so I may see what is wrong." Every one of my sisters has a special power, and mine happens to be showing the past as it truly was." Fulton nodded slowly, still unsure.

"Forgive me if I can't immediately trust that you can just up and show me the past. I mean, it sounds a little too good to be true." Ariel giggled, a tittering sound like wind in summer leaves.

"Many have also said this. I've found the best way is to just show you." She tugged on Fulton's hand, and he felt his _soul_ fall forward, the physical world around them going black as he held on for dear life.

* * *

The wraith is from Supernatural, except for the human form and Powdered wig. I couldn't help myself.  
The fiery Asian is a type of _Furaribi_, a Japanese creature who flies aimlessly engulfed in flames. Maybe she takes breaks at the Shoppe ^_^  
The BDM, go Google it. (hint: it has to do with Hitler Youth)  
The banshee is: who hasn't heard of a banshee? She appears to foretell death at certain family's homes.  
A Zână is the Romanian version of a fairy. They usually are beneficial and watch over people who go into the forests.  
Satyrs are goat-dudes. The only reason I added them is because in one of my favorite games: Spyro: Ripto's Rage, you go to a place where Satyrs play bagpipes and the fawns all have yoyos and act like Valley Girls.

LETMETELLYOU, I only hate that level because you have to help the mad-scientist-doctor-alchemist-guy get a freaking potion to Hunter the Cheetah, because he accidently encased him in a block of cement. But instead of taking the THREE STEPS to get from one cave to another, this dumb goat (no, really, he's a goat/man) takes the long way around where you die twenty times trying to get that stupid man to your cheetah. All for an Orb. The only thing worse than that is (and you who've played the game will know EXACTLY what I'm talking about):

"Trouble with the trolley, eh?"

_Uh, yeah because who makes a trolley in the sky on a floating ship with giant gaps in the track, as well as dynamite and railroad signals!? Who the hell is paying you pelicans to keep explosives on a winged, lava covered ship anyway!? What kind of three-ring circus is this!? THIS ISN'T WORTH A DARN ORB I'LL CHEAT MY WAY TO DRAGON SHORES!_

(Jubi is forced into a straitjacket and carried away. The story will continue next chapter)


	25. Visions of the Past

Author's Note: Thanks to all my reviewers! I'm promising here to take your opinions into consideration when I write these new chapters! Um, I took some extra liberties here in the flashbacks….I used the script from the manga, and didn't tweak it, rather I added a part that could_ technically have happened? _Please don't burn my fangirl badge_. ~Onegaishimasu~_ (pretends to be Old Integra)

* * *

Fulton stood, slightly woozy as he looked around. He noticed Ariel, still holding onto his hand, although his hand didn't really have a shape anymore. He just…._was._

"Wha-what's going on?" he said, looking down at his formless body.

"This is yourself, your soul; what makes you_ you_. It has no tangible form, it simply fills up whatever space you determine it to be in. We are in The Void. This is where all of the past, present, and future reside. I am unchanged here, because I can travel easily between worlds." Fulton looked around in the darkness.

"So, you can't show the future?" he asked nonchalantly, reaching out his other limb and forming a hand with his mind before swiping at the swirling blackness. Ariel shook her head.

"No, but my sister can. That is not why we're here, however." Fulton nodded, half-listening as he experimented with his soul-body, turning it into a more humanoid shape. "Before we delve into your answers, I will show you the proof you desire." Fulton, always the skeptic-turned his attention toward the small woman, who waved a hand at the wall of obscurity that stood before them, which twisted and formed a scene.

"_**Miss Seras, please! Push your hat up, even if only a little! I need to be able to see your face in the picture!"**_

_**The Draculina laughed and obeyed, trying to keep most of her face out of the sun. Fulton shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the neck of his suit. Winston bent his knees slightly, barely pushing the flash of the camera to put the face-lock on.**_

"_**Okay, on the count of three. 1, 2, 3!"**_

_**Seras clamped a hand on the boy's shoulder, and he immediately straightened and gave a forced smile, wincing. The flash lit up the canopy for a moment, and then the pair under it relaxed. Seras patted the boy on the shoulder as she slowly disappeared into the ground. Fulton tugged again on his suit, walking over to Winston, who held the camera down to let him see the picture. **_

Fulton watched in amazement at the younger Winston, who was missing the graying hair around his ears and neck. He looked at the tiny boy standing next to him, craning his neck to see the camera. It was amazing at how _small_ he was back then.

"Wow," he breathed, looking at the scene that lay out before him like a movie. Ariel stood by, still holding his hand and watching with an amused expression. "But this is like… my memory, isn't it?" Ariel shook her head.

"No, this is more than a memory. A human's memory is defunct, inefficient, and subject to emotions that change the outcome of the recollection. This is true past; what was, is. However, I will prove to you by showing something that happened before your time. Watch carefully."

Fulton stared at the new scene. The old man from Renfield's picture….Walter, was it? Was standing with Alucard, speaking about something that pertained to boats and airplanes. They were in Fulton's office, but it looked majorly different, and he only recognized the windows that overlooked the grounds. He leaned in, interested, but jumped when the door at the far end burst open.

_**Seras ran in, screaming at the top of her lungs. **_

"_**Walter!" she screamed, tears running down her cheeks as she was too worked up for anything else. **_

"_**Ah, so training's over, then?" the old man said calmly, ignoring how the girl was almost hysterical. **_

"_**S-s-sexual Harassment! That weird mercenary commander was singing this NASTY cadence!" she shouted, tugging on the older man's arm and pointing at the door. Alucard and Walter looked up to see a group of soldiers coming in, singing in harmony about lewd things and….Eskimo parts.**_

"_**GREAT BARMY PILLOCK!" Seras shrieked, groaning when Walter only smiled and shrugged noncommittally, clearly not going to do a thing about it. She gave up on the old man, instead running full speed and crashing into her master, wrapping her arms around his waist and hiding in his gigantic coat. He gave a huff of surprise, looking down as she stared at him with pleading eyes. He leered at what must have been a mental suggestion from his Childe before he growled, more theatrically than his **_**real **_**angry snarls. It did the job, however, as the soldiers immediately shut up, most of them backing quickly out of the room before only the main commander was left shaking in his boots. Seras gave a dramatic sniff before letting go of her master. Alucard gave her a thoughtful glance before his eyes lit up. **_

"_**Walter, it's old-fashioned but I have an idea…" he said, grinning widely at Seras, who paled even further as she warily watched her previous savior as he slowly moved towards her. **_

"_**Uh, Master? What are you-I mean…" she started, backing up as he loomed over her. Walter bit his lip, holding up a finger to try and stop Alucard's advancement.**_

"_**Oh, nothing Police Girl. As your Master, I just want to make sure that you're nice and cozy for our little journey…" Alucard purred, reaching out a hand to Seras even as she turned to her last hope of protection.**_

"_**Walter?" Walter winced, turning away as he half-guessed what the vampire had in mind for the sad little claustrophobe. **_

"_**Poor dear," he muttered, puttering out of the room and away from a guilty conscious. **_

Fulton blinked as the scene slowly faded away, the pounding of something in his ears. He turned to Ariel.

"What'd Alucard do to her?" he questioned.

"Forced her to ride the entirety of an airplane trip in a nailed-shut coffin." She said with a shrug. "Now do you believe me?" Fulton acquiesced, letting Ariel lead him. She turned to him. "If you want me to help you, you have to ask the right question." Fulton blanked for a minute, before going with the obvious.

"Ariel, show me the fight Seras Victoria and Abigail Hellsing had with Mina Harker, and the events that followed." Ariel nodded, waving her hand once more over the blank darkness.

* * *

Afterword: I picture Ariel's voice actor to be Michelle Ruff. Just that light, airy voice.  
On that note, Fulton's voice actor would be Jason Spisak. I love his voice; it's like number 7 on my **"Top 10 List of Male VAs Who I Only Love for Their Voice Because They Don't Exactly Look That Hot In Person". **  
Seras and Alucard would keep their voice actors. I think Blake Shepard would have to play Winston. I think his sense of humor would work well with the butler, especially concerning Baskerville.

I think that Alucard would jump at the chance to scare a bunch of human soldiers, even if Seras is clinging to his waist like a lost child. He'd do it for her ;)


	26. Sacrifice (Part 1)

Author's Note_: (is sweating, wearing a scarf made out of a lighter material)_ Ugh. Alabama summertime:

_**When meteorologists first measured the exact humidity of Alabama summers, they were astounded to find a number so high, it was previously thought to belong only to Hell itself. Surprisingly, the creatures of the region-**__Southernism Languorous__**- had adapted to the harsh climate. They had gained the movements of sloths, lazing the harsh noon hours in the shade and drinking special nectar that seemed to ward off the heat, which the vernacular dubbed "sweet tea". The only side-effect of this slower lifestyle was the language, which also picked up the amazing ability to turn a two-syllable sentence into a ten-syllable sentence. Astounding….**_

Hehehe. Armed with two box fans and a glass of Dr. Pepper, I solemnly swear to keep belting out this stuff for you people, even though the higher temperatures. Also, this is a flashback, but it's not bolded because it's big enough to be its own chapter. Sorry for any confusion.

I also didn't lie to those I told that the next chapter would be long. It is long, but it's so drawn out I have to break it into two or three parts, so this is just Part 1.

* * *

"It really is a nice suit, Ser. And he just gave it to you?"

Seras frowned slightly, pulling at the cuff of her new pinstripe suit.

"Yeah, he just brought it up. He said he found it at one of his missions, and thought I'd look good in it. I guess he was tired of me flaunting around here in that short Soldier's uniform. I don't think Enoch paid much mind either way, though. What; is it not me?" Seras held out her arms, walking sideways to face her best friend. Abigail laughed, turning to keep an eye on Gabe before answering.

"It actually suits you very well. Blue is definitely your color. But I'm surprised. A new set of clothes, that little bird-shaped pin before that, and the necklace when you returned from Hertfordshire…. He's certainly gotten into the habit of bringing you little gifts, hasn't he?" Abby elbowed the vampire, a sly look on her face as Seras blushed slightly before waving her hands in the air.

"No, no it's nice, just-well, I suppose Master is just-it's nice that he's considering me but…" she tapered off, brushing the aforementioned pin that was pinned neatly above the Hellsing crest on her jacket with a finger. "Why, though? He never cared that much about bringing me anything before." Abby laughed, before getting a sterner look on her face.

"Gabriel Hellsing, don't you _dare_ get in that lake! It's too late in the afternoon to be getting wet; the sun's setting!" The 4-year-old whimpered, stepping back from the bank of the lake.

"Kay Mommy," he said dejectedly, slowly making his way back toward his mother and auntie Seras, who were talking about boring, grown-up things. Abby turned back to Seras, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't act like you can't tell, Ser. He's showering you with gifts, making an effort to take you almost everywhere with him, getting jealous when you talk to the soldiers-in his own twisted way, I think he's trying to _woo_ you." Seras squeaked, blushing all the way to the collar of her suit.

"_He is no-_shh!" she said, her eyes growing wide. The girls turned to see Alucard stroll up to the path. Gabe immediately let out a squeal and ran up to grasp at the giant man's red coat. Abby smiled and gave a friendly wave as Seras fumbled for something to say, still shaken by her friend's opinion. "Uh-um-Hello Master. Back from your mission in Hungary?" she made a surprised sound when Alucard pulled something from his coat and tossed it to her. She caught it, her crimson eyes blinking in confusion when she held up the object to reveal a dark blue fedora with a black band. She made a cooing sound while turning it this way and that in the fading light of evening, admiring the handiwork. "Master, is-is this for me?"

"It goes well with your suit, Police Girl." Alucard said off-handedly, frowning down at the child now wrapped up in the front of his coat. Abby gently pulled Gabe off of the vampire, bouncing him in her arms as he laughed.

"Ser, you could put those feathers in the front, huh? That'd look cool. Where'd it come from, Alucard?"

"The assailants were a band of gangsters in the mountains who were outfitting their newer members with FREAK chips. The main man wore this; it was the only one that wasn't stained with the wearer's brains." He replied, apparently trying to gross out the woman before him though she did no more than raise an eyebrow.

"Well that's that then. But then, geez Alucard, you bring Seras something every time you come back from a mission," Abby said carefully, glancing at the man out of the corner of her eye while she pretended to admire Seras' new hat. Alucard gave a shrug. "You don't bring anyone else home anything, I see."

"What, do you think it means something?" Alucard said, narrowing his eyes.

"Doesn't it?" Abby said neutrally, clearly inciting the vampire into an argument or confession, whichever came first.

"No." Alucard spat rather forcefully, startling Abby. Seras had a hurt look for a millisecond before she bristled. Sniffing irately she plopped the hat on Gabe's head, giving her master a mean look before grabbing the boy and sticking him on her shoulders.

"Come on Gabe. Let's go get some flowers from the field beside the Lake." Seras said, turning and sticking her nose in the air as she flounced away with Gabe shouting "Fastaw! Auntie go Fastaw!" at the top of his lungs. Abby gave a satisfied grin as she watched the two leave, finally sighing and standing next to Alucard, who hadn't moved from his spot in the middle of the path.

"It was a lot easier when ladies knew what that meant, wasn't it?" she said calmly. Alucard looked down at her, though she kept her eyes closed.

"I have no idea what you mean." He said evenly. Abby grinned and twisted around to look at the taller man with a delightfully evil expression, clearly enjoying what was to come.

"You forget that you're talking to Abigail Rosario, who had a Doctorate in Ancient European Culture by the age of 22. I know lots of things; and I know that a long time ago, when a man brought home spoils of war to a young lady, it meant that he wanted to _court her._" She said, skipping around the tall man to poke at his chest. "Don't think that I'm not watching the way you act around Seras." Alucard grumbled something, swatting at her hand and letting a few shadows escape from under his coat. Abby chuckled and waved a hand, dispersing the shades.

"Stop it; I've faced ancient burial curses much more frightening than you. I'm not saying it to be mean, Alucard. I'm offering you my help," She explained. Alucard remained silent, and Abby narrowed her eyes and stood on her tiptoes as she tried to peer at his eyes behind the glasses he always wore. "Face it vampire, you don't always," she waved a hand toward Gabe and Seras, who glanced over quickly before throwing her nose in the air again, "say the most romantic things. You're rather off-putting when someone actually gets to know you." Alucard flared his nostrils, growling audibly and turning away, but seemed to hesitate. Abby grabbed ahold of the edge of his hat, tugging at it as she tried to get him to turn back around. He mumbled something, which she leaned in to hear before she threw her arms in the air.

"Of course you said something wrong, you idiot! Girls don't like to be told that we're inferior!"

"I never said that she was inferior." Alucard shot back, his mouth pulled tight. Abby shook her head, pushing at the man's broad shoulders as she guided him along the path, which went in a large circle around the lake.

"Uh, yeah you did. When you said that her gifts meant nothing to you. You have to think about these things like a lady does." She shook her head sadly, pulling around to reach under his coat and grasp his elbow, getting shaken off three times before Alucard finally gave in. "Listen, you've got two major obstacles against you and Seras. One:" she held up a finger. "She was nineteen when she was turned, and you were what…53?" she peered up under his hat appraisingly. Alucard huffed.

"Try 46." Abby gave a half-shrug.

"Okay, 46. That right there is a 20-odd year age gap, much less the fact that Seras is about 500-years more modern than you. The things you would do to woo young ladies in the Middle Ages just won't work nowadays. They have no….credibility. I mean, it's like you trying to bring her the head of her enemy on a pike-" she looked at her companion, who had stiffened. "Oh dear Lord! Alucard was that-last month-_you didn't_." Abby gave him a solid smack, ignoring the reforming shadows and his clenched jaw. "Good grief! We're in it deeper than I thought." She sighed, holding her free hand to her forehead. "Okay, we'll get back to that taboo. We'll talk more later, okay?" she said as the reached the field currently occupied by Seras and Gabe. Seras cast Alucard a baleful glance before throwing the bouquet of flowers she'd just picked into the lake, keeping her back to him. Alucard frowned and opened his mouth before turning and looking toward the manor in the far distance, just a dot on the horizon.

"Wha-?" he said, phasing away in mid-turn. Abby furrowed her brows, turning toward Seras, who had turned to stare at the manor as well.

"What? What's going on?" she asked, concerned. Seras scratched her head, shaking it slightly.

"I...don't know. Enoch called for Master but I'm sure it's nothing," she said, but she didn't sound exactly sure. Abby pursed her lips, looking at Gabe.

"Maybe we oughta go back towards the house." She said uncertainly. Suddenly, the ground shook and Abby and Gabe both fell in the grass as smoke began to billow from the direction of the manor. Seras gasped, stepping forward.

"Master!" she yelled, her eyes going blank for a fraction of a second as she mentally checked with him. She nodded, her gaze growing serious as she turned to scoop up Gabe, her shadow arm un-forming and wrapping around Abby, who gasped. Setting her on the ground, Seras gave her Gabe and pulled her in the direction of the forest that circled the grounds, ignoring the protesting woman and allowing her shadows to run along the ground, feeling for danger.

"Wait! Ser, what's happening? Slow down!" Abby shouted as she was pulled and pushed along simultaneously by her friend's shadows. Gabe bounced in her arms, his face beginning to crumple as he sensed his mother's worry and fear. When they reached the edge of the forest, Seras turned to grab Gabe again, putting him on her back in a sort of shadow-sling. Abby grabbed her shoulder, trying to get some answers.

"We're being attacked. My Master has ordered me to keep you out of harm's way until the danger has been met. Releasing Control Art Restrictions to Level 3 at your command, Milady." Seras spoke formally, waiting for the orders by the second-in-command. Abby stared at Seras, who focused ahead as her hands made the signals. She nodded slowly, touching Gabe briefly to keep him from crying.

"Opening Level 3," Seras said, her voice echoing slightly as her eyes turned a darker crimson. "Holding Release until threats are removed." She turned toward Abby, her fangs grown and her eyes almost black in color. Abby paled, never before seeing Seras in battle mode.

"Wha-what are you?" she whispered fearfully, backing up and trying to tug her child with her protectively. Gabe moaned, squirming as his legs were strained by the shadows holding him down. He began to sniffle. Seras looked at the woman with something in her eyes before she blinked and held a hand up to Abby's face. Abby shook her head and whimpered, turning away from what was once her friend. Seras touched her thumb to the woman's cheek, turning it back to face her as she smiled softly.

"There's nothing to fear. Everything is fine." She said softly. Abby shook her head more and more slowly. "There's nothing to fear."

"Nothing-to….fear….no-nothing to…" Abby repeated, her eyes becoming blank. She started, shaking her head before staring around, confused. "Seras? What's going on?"

"We have to run now. The house is under attack. Hold my hand." Seras said, grabbing firmly to her friend's hand before phasing them through the trees and into a forest clearing. She blocked the way with her shadows, pushing the two humans against the rocky bluff that marked the end of the forest. She released Gabe, letting him run around on the grass as she kept her shadows up in an invisible barrier. Abby sat down on a rock, holding her head in her hands as she shook off the last of her hypnotism and the effects of the phasing as Seras began to patrol her barrier, looking out into the trees as she felt her Master's foreboding as if it were her own.

* * *

Afterword: End of Part 1! Yay! Are you suspenseful yet? I know I am. I'm going to make you wait for the next part, too. (Psst, what do you think of Abby? Like her? Hate her? She's the kind of girl that's wary of Alucard, but is okay with them until they become really monster-like. She's not stupid, just sorta a brave and take-it-as-it-comes type of lady. I really like her.)


	27. Sacrifice Part II

Author's Note: I'm sorry. Please don't come after me with pitchforks, okay? Not even with regular forks! But: **Since-I-am-going-on-vacation-the-next-chapter-won' t-be-out-until-about-June-6th!** Okay I said it! Even though I'll still be around on the Internet, I've sorely neglected to work on my novel for , so I'll be working on that in my spare time. I will be posting more on that, so this fiction will go by the wayside for the moment. However, I promise that I won't forget about you! You'll get your part 3 soon enough. Please be patient.

(Dodges thrown salad fork) "You took out the salad fork before you had the chance to use your butter knife? Madness, ye vagabond!"

* * *

Seras was sitting on the rock hours later, still in battle mode when she heard the sound of someone weeping. Prickling slightly, she jumped to the edge of her barrier to stare into the darkness of the forest. Abby looked in confusion before she too heard the sound. Gabe looked up from his romping.

"Cwy Mommy. Cwy?" he asked, looking around to see if his mother or aunt was crying .Maybe they had a boo-boo. Abby looked out into the darkness around Seras' barrier, seeing a shape in the woods. She poked Seras, who was growling in confusion and warning. Shaking her head, Abby called out into the darkness.

"E-excuse me? Do you need help? Where did you come from? Ma'am?!" she shouted despite Seras warning grip on her upper arm. The woman stopped her sobbing, turning to slowly walk toward the clearing.

"Allo? Iz someone zere?" a female voice called out uncertainly. Abby gasped.

"Seras! Undo the barrier; she can't see us!" Abby said with certainty, tugging on the Draculina's sleeve. Seras shook her head. "Don't make me _command_ you, vampire," she snarled in a perfect imitation of her husband. Seras shook with suppressed wariness, but slowly undid the barrier. Abby turned as she heard the mystery woman gasp in surprise when three people just showed up out of the blue. The woman stepped into the light so that Seras and Abby could see. She wore a simple white gown, with her hair curling down her shoulders in soft waves. Her laced-up boots shone in the evening dew. Her eyes were cast into shadow, a strange brownish-orange color in the cloudy moonlight. She smiled again, wiping the tears from her face discreetly.

"Zank you for offering ze help. It iz much obliged." The woman said softly, her voice going back under control. Abby smiled and nodded.

"What's your name? Why are you crying, dearie?" she said in a motherly tone, patting the woman awkwardly on the back. The woman smiled sadly, another tear going down her cheek.

"My name iz Wilhelmina. I have had my heart broken. Zat is why I cry," she said, tapering off into sobs again. Seras felt her heart go out to the poor woman, this Wilhelmina, before her Master overheard her thoughts in alarm. Seras winced as he stabbed her mind, screaming at her mentally.

_No! It's a trap! That's Mina Harker; she's the one who attacked the Manor! _Seras straightened, her eyes going wide. Abby glanced at her, her arm still around Mina's shoulder. Mina sniffed, and pulled her red eyes up to Abby, who frowned and opened her mouth. Mina put a hand on Abby's lips, smiling through her tears.

"I also cry because I didn't want to have to zee such a pretty family die," she said, before raking her newly formed claws lightly along Abby's cheek, forming red welts along the Hellsing woman's skin. Abby gasped, jerking back as the woman pulled her arm away and making her claws sharper. Seras gave a battle shriek, throwing Abby away and catching her across the clearing with her shadows as she took the brunt of Mina's claws against her chest. The claws didn't do that much damage, just ripping through her uniform and scratching her skin. Seras hissed and jumped back, putting a wide berth between herself and Mina, who was looking at Abby and Gabe as they cowered against the bluff. Turning back to the Draculina Mina smiled and began to sing a song, running and jumping at Seras- every punctuation accompanied by her claws aiming for the Hellsing servant's eyes.

"Draculina,

_**Jolie**_ Draculina:

Draculina,

Je _**vais **_vous la _**coupez!**_"

Seras screeched in pain as Mina caught her shoulder, dragging her around to stand face-to-face. Still in her singsong voice, she cocked her head and questioned: "_Que dois-je couper en premier?"_ pulling her closer, she bared her fangs at the girl and growled menacingly. "You filthy _salope_. You've stolen my lovely Master away from me. Now I'll just kill you, and then nothing will stand in the way of him and me anymore." She regarded the two humans in the corner of her eye. "Too bad that they stood in the way. On second thought, that woman's corpse will be a perfect Macabre Marionette. Another to add to my collection, now that Alone has been destroyed." The woman mused, smiling to herself. Growling, Seras tried to pull the vampiress' attention back to the fight, dodging away from the Hellsings on the other side of the clearing.

Finally tiring of the game, Mina yawned and slammed Seras into a tree, holding her there with one arm as Seras screamed bloody murder and kicked with all her might, her arms wrapped around the woman's elbow. Mina grinned and shot a spark of pure power, arching around the trees and heading straight for Gabe, whose eyes grew wide in the face of the bright green light. Seras stopped, screaming with her shadows reaching for the young boy, but not moving near fast enough to reach past the stronger vampiress' powers. There was a sickening squelch, followed by a shrill female scream of pain and fury. Seras stopped screaming and was dropped to the ground, her shadows finally catching up to wrap around Abby, who was standing over Gabe with her arms shielding the boy. A gaping hole in the back of her blouse showed her spine, standing a stark pink and white against the red of her muscle and the fleshy, crimson movement of her still-beating heart. Seras saw her still falling in slow motion, compared to her fast speed, and heard the bloody cough escape the woman's mouth like a gunshot against her ears. Mina was squealing various obscenities in French, holding an almost equal wound on her shoulder and back as she stumbled off into the forest. Seras ignored the enemy, her only thoughts lying with the woman on the ground whose little boy was standing over her, frightened. Seras grabbed Gabe with her shadows, hypnotizing his innocent mind into sleeping effortlessly as she grabbed her friend, who opened her eyes to gaze up at the moonlight.

"Where's Gabe? Is he okay?" she asked weakly, her maternal instincts winning. Seras nodded quietly, bringing the unconscious boy over with her shadows so that Abby could feel his warm flesh. She nodded as well as she could, taking her son's hand in her own and squeezing slightly. Seras watched her eyes slowly grow hazier, and the Draculina tried in vain to stop the wound with something, _anything_ that could keep her best friend alive long enough to get medical help. She paused when she felt a hand on her own, and looked down into Abby's eyes. Abby opened her mouth, whispering so quietly a human couldn't hear, but Seras felt like the woman was shouting.

"Drink my blood, Seras," she said quietly. Seras shook her head.

"No, Abby. You'll live, and-"

"I'm dying Seras. Please, do this for me. Consider it my last request." Abby interrupted, apparently sensing her time was growing shorter. Seras moaned softly, bloody tears falling to stain the ground as she held her friend's head in her lap. Abby smiled softly. "It's okay, Seras. I want to be a part of you, and help you even after I die. Besides, we'll meet again in Heaven, right? Please drink my blood. Help me become of use to you." Seras stared at the woman blankly for a moment. "_Please_." Abby urged. Seras bent down and lapped up the blood from Abby's chin where she had coughed it up. She half-turned Abby to reach the wound while still allowing her to hold Gabe's hand. Abby caressed the boy's hand as Seras slowly drank, singing the boy a lullaby as her eyes grew dim.

"_The north wind doth blow, and we'll now have snow. What will my Robin do then? He'll sit in the barn and keep-himself…warm…And tuck….his…he-_" Abby never finished her lullaby; her smile never fading as she died gazing on her sleeping child. Seras looked up, the bloody tears pouring down her face as she began to sob, holding the woman's corpse and rocking it like a baby. Somewhere in the recesses of her already fragile mind, the Draculina felt something begin to slip and the usually dark voice of her master echoed almost gently in her mind. _Poor thing, poor thing_.

* * *

Enoch Hellsing arrived on the scene to see a blood-covered, shredded Seras Victoria rocking the unmoving body of his wife as his unconscious son lay only a few inches away. Seras' eyes were blank and devoid of all life as she rocked, muttering something under her breath. He froze, his mind locking as he looked on the clearing and feared the worst: that he was all alone. He felt his servant behind him, that annoying voice whispering in his mind.

_Your son is fine; Seras has forced him asleep so he won't be scarred by his mother's appearance. _Alucard said, but Enoch heard nothing except that the monster had said his _son_ was fine, but nothing about his wife being okay. He stumbled a step before breaking off in a sprint, knocking Sears aside to see his wife's pale face, her eyes lifeless and her body cold. He broke into sobs, holding her and stroking her cheek as he saw the red-clad vampire walk toward Seras. He tried to calm himself, reaching over to feel for himself that his darling boy was indeed warm and alive before turning his attention back to his love.

"How did-_God above_, how did this happen?" he managed to choke out among his ragged breathing. Seras didn't answer, instead her face crumpled and she let out an inhumane screech of pure sorrow and pain that made every hair stand up on the Hellsing's neck. The sound echoed throughout the forest, ear-splitting and terrifying at the same time. Alucard pulled Seras to her feet, his face dark as he said something to her mentally, and she shook her head and tried to push him away. He growled and pulled her closer, murmuring something in her ear and shaking her slightly at points. Seras began to cry again, the blood sliding thickly down her cheeks and staining her pantsuit.

"M-m-mina," the Draculina finally choked out among her own tears. "It w-w-was so sudden! I-I tried to stop her, but I was-I wasn't-strong enough!" she hiccupped, turning to bury her face in her master's chest as she seemed to not be able to bear looking at the corpse any longer. Alucard was growling audibly, his wrath full as he threw out his powers searching the surrounding area for the traitorous vampiress. Enoch stroked his wife's bloodless face. _Bloodless_….he thought sadly before jerking up, glancing around the ground for any trace of gore and finding none. His shoulders sagged as he realized the only possible explanation.

"You sick monster," he murmured quietly, laying his wife gently on the ground and standing up. He turned to the vampiric pair, his eyes calm but the air thick with rage. "You sick _fuck!_" he screamed, running to pull Seras away from Alucard, who looked surprised behind his glasses. The vampire watched his master shake Seras violently, screaming obscenities at her as he made her teeth chatter. "You drank her blood, didn't you? _Didn't you_?! Answer me!" he shouted at the girl, who finally used her strength to her advantage as she braced her feet to keep him from giving her whiplash.

"She-she asked me to!" Seras squeaked. Enoch pulled at his hair, gnashing his teeth.

"There may have been a way to _save _her then, idiot! She was still alive! She could still be a-you killed her," he said, deadly calm as he pointed a finger accusingly in her face. "You killed my wife, you freak of nature." Alucard stepped in, his presence overbearing on the Hellsing.

"There is not any need to blame Seras," the vampire said in his normal emotionless demeanor. "We can only blame Mina, who is still out there-if not dead, she is wounded badly." The Hellsing seemed to calm, looking once more at his wife's still body as he nodded slowly.

"Yes. Alucard, new orders: Go find and subdue Mina Harker. I want that bitch's head on a silver platter. Use any means necessary to kill her. Seras and I will take Gabe back to the Manor and begin…preparations for the funeral." Alucard bowed and whispered something mentally to Seras, who scooped up Gabe in her arms and gave him to Enoch, who grabbed Seras' sleeve as she phased back to the manor.

Alucard searched his master's mind briefly, and found no more malice in his thoughts, except towards Mina. Satisfied, the vampire grinned sadistically and turned to go into the woods. That little trollop was going to be in a world of pain. She had shattered his Childe's mind, a task that Alucard had been hoping to have the pleasure of doing himself. But of course that didn't even _begin _to stand against the vehemence he felt for her _daring_ to touch his Childe; to speak to her and threaten her-_oh yes, little Mina. You had best run for as long as you can, because you'll be begging for the flames of Hell when I am done with you. _

* * *

Alucard still hadn't returned after two days, and Seras was beginning to worry. Gabe had been devastated-his young mind couldn't understand why he couldn't ever see his Mommy again, and Daddy seemed much sadder lately. She had taken to staring at the moon from her favorite spot in the shooting range, and now when Enoch found her she realized how tired she was.

"'It's close to dawn, Seras. I know you're sleepy, but please come with me. I have something very concerning to show you," Enoch said apologetically. " I'm afraid if can't wait until evening." Seras looked over and nodded, getting up from her Indian-style position to follow him. They headed toward the upper levels silently. Seras wondered, and her thoughts were confirmed when they indeed stepped out onto the roof, where the sun was barely peeking over the horizon. Seras looked thoughtfully around, wondering what it was that Enoch was going to show her. She glanced questioningly at him, and he smiled and pointed to a spot in the middle of the roof.

"Lie down there, Seras. Then you can see what it is I want you to do." Seras shrugged at the command, lying down on the cold cement to look backwards at him as he walked to stand over her, his boots barely touching her shoulder blades. "Now, I order you to not move a muscle except your vocal chords until I tell you that you can," he said calmly. Seras looked at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about? The sun's about to rise. I need to go sleep." Enoch shook his head slowly, walking around to face her.

"I'm afraid not, Seras Victoria. You see, my late mother may have been your friend, but I owe you nothing. Not an explanation, not an ultimatum: nothing. My mother tossed me aside like the whore she was. No one even knows who my father was." The man stroked his chin thoughtfully. "And now, the only woman I ever cared for is dead." He leaned in closely, his breath mingling with hers as his calm eyes met her wide ones. "You see, you had one mission, Seras. One mission. Keep my child and wife safe from the beings attacking the manor. And did you accomplish that? No, Seras. You did not. My wife is dead." Seras' eyes grew frantic as she saw Enoch's calm demeanor ripple, the insanity he'd plunged into surfacing for a fraction of a second.

"Enoch, stop this. Let's talk this over, okay?" Seras tried, her voice growing hypnotic. Enoch crowed with laughter, stepping on her hand and making her yelp.

"No talking, Seras. No talking. I owe you nothing, remember? No, today you die. The sun will be up soon. I promise to come check on you by evening. If you aren't dead, I'll have the Corporal put a blessed bullet through that black heart of yours. Get used to the burning, Seras. You'll be feeling a lot of it in Hell." He said in a demure manner, waving his hands to emphasize his point. He turned on his heel and began to walk away.

"But why?!" Seras called desperately after him, looking in panic as the sun rose far enough to play with the knees of her boots, only inches away from her exposed skin. Enoch turned, chucking darkly as he sauntered back over to his servant.

"Why? _Why?_ Because this is an impeccable punishment, my dear. You failed the mission, and it's your fault that Abby died." He said evenly. She shook her head at him, but he pushed a boot on her forehead to stop her. "Oh, yes it was. Your fault. You remember that as your burning, and ask for God and Abby's forgiveness as you waste away, vampire." With that, he turned and walked away, the clicking of his heels pausing only as he shut the door to the roof with a satisfying click.

* * *

She was lying on the ground, pain racking her body as she stared at the blue sky. On such a dark day, the sky looked so beautiful: if only she didn't hurt so much, what'd it be like to fly in the sun just once and forget that she didn't belong out here. She was burning: oh the pain of being burned by the thing she once enjoyed! A shadow stood over him, and she thought to herself how he'd been as a baby: sweet and demure, not sadistic and crazy. He acted more like his father than his mother now.

"I hope you understand this: It's your fault. Now see what you've done? She's dead, your mission was a failure, and your Master is having to be punished himself for trying to come get you. It's a shame: You make him suffer so, only because you call him to save you from the righteous agony of your sin? Shame."

She knew it wasn't her fault: the man was bluffing, Master wasn't here! He was…he was…._Master, where are you? Please don't abandon me! It hurts!_ She reached out desperately with her mind, and the voice wrapped around and soothed her as best as it could.

_I'm coming, wait for me. Hold on, I'm coming._ She relaxed, now. Her Master wouldn't leave her. Her Master was- Master loved-did he love her? Was it true? What about the other, though? Didn't he want Mina back? She ignored those bad thoughts as a fresh wave of sun-drenched pain wrung through her. The man glanced up as clouds began to cover the sun, giving her instant relief. The man cursed angrily.

"Is that how you want to play the game, then? Fine. Mother's pets or not, I'll see you destroyed yet for what you've done. My Abby is gone, my love is gone, so now you're going to be gone. Get up." She gasped, finally being able to rise of her own will. She tried to run, but stopped dead in her tracks as the man said the words that would seal her fate.

"_I order you to kill your Master_," he murmured evilly, his pleasure emanating from his mind at the thought of her death being so much more fulfilling.

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think: she was no longer in control of her body. She could only scream in her mind as she was forced to obey the order, thinking over and over in her head as she felt her wings develop from the shadows to fly to her death:

_It's my fault-It's my fault-It's my fault_

* * *

_Afterword: The lullaby Abby sings can be found more about here:www DOT rhymes DOT org uk SLASH the_ north _ wind _ doth _ blow . htm_

Also, SHAMELESS ADVERTISING: You can find my novel (If you want to check it out) at my fictonpress account here: wwwDOTfictionpressDOTcomSLASHsSLASH3106221SLASH1SL ASHBrenden-the-Ghost  


_Hehehe, I jest. Poor Enoch went bat-crazy (pun intended). Poor Seras is burning. BURNING. (Acts like Hirano-san.) ~BURNING~ Poor Alucard is not going fast enough. Eh, too bad. Let's see what happens next!_

_(Acts like Willa) __**Le scene de combat etait mauvaise. Desole pour ca. Je promets: La scene de combat entre Alucard et Seras sera longue. Et sanglante. Ca va etre la peine d'attendre!**_


	28. Sacrifice Part III

**Notas de Autor**:_ (in normal meeting room at the rec center) - _"Hello everyone! I made peanut-butter cookies! They're over there on the table, so make sure you get a couple. I have plenty. I had a blast on vacation. I hadn't see the ocean since I was 13-years-old. I am sunburned, but I'm still so happy. Now, here on this PowerPoint are some -_Ketti_. You stop that right now! No dragging your scarf through the cookies just so you can have more. Anyway, here are some important points you guys have brought to my attention over my hiatus."

Guest Reviews: I try to answer every review that people send me. If you have the time to send me a review, I have the time to reciprocate with an answer to any questions you have. However, some readers don't have accounts, and send reviews as Guests. I don't want to leave you out, so here you go. =To **iTyncWithReality** (what does your name mean?!): Thanks for your lovely review! I'm glad you're enjoying this so far. I hope you stick around to finish it out, and I hope to hear more from you! Also, your scarf sounds gorgeous! Welcome to the club! (Baker's dozen? Ooooohh, you're trying to spoil me ;D)  
=To the **Guest** who said "My eyes are red. "Grrrrrrr": Um….okay? _My_ eyes are blue. Please don't growl. Have a PB cookie, okay? You probably get malicious when you're hungry. I know I do.  
=To **Mw: **I've read your reviews! Thanks for the nice compliments. I hope you continue to follow this story!

Questions: **White Chalk LP** PMd me this: _"Also, this puzzled me: She had shattered his Childe's mind, a task that Alucard had been hoping to have the pleasure of doing himself. I'm not sure I understand this part. What does Alucard mean?" _Many other people have asked in basically the same way as to my meaning on this part. Here was my answer to her. I hope it makes sense to you, but ALWAYS feel free to PM me if you have a question about the story. I'm always more than happy to help you with any problems. Here's my reply:

_As Walter once said, Alucard is a monster. He's wanted to be the one to push Seras to the brink of insanity his own way and then build her up. Not bat-** crazy (pun not intended) but slightly insane so that he could….I dunno…mold her into the Queen he wanted? But he never got that chance. So now he's mad. Irritated. Wrathful._

"I think that's it? Anyway, here's the shattering conclusion to the Enoch incident! I'm glad this part will be out of the way, actually. The ending is what I'm focused on now. Word of advice. Grab your tissues, because you'll hate me by the end. I'm sorry. (Shrugs) Break the cutie? No. I'm Breaking the Audience. MWAHAHAHA"

* * *

Seras collided with her master in midair, crashing with a loud bang that echoed across the countryside like a clap of thunder. The part of her mind that was still her own wondered why he didn't phase, but she was more worried about her out-of-control body that was now attacking the man with all of her force. She was surprised to actually get a punch in before Alucard snarled and threw her away. She fell into the soft grass, watching helplessly as he landed a few feet away. He opened his mouth to pose a question before ducking as Seras jumped for his eyes, claws unsheathed. He swung around, grabbing her burned arm and she screamed, clawing for his face. He gave her a toothy grin that didn't reach his eyes as he pinned her arms against her sides.

"As much as I'd love to play with you, Police Girl, I'd really like to find my master and ask why you've been punished. Now, let's go back." Seras longed to tell Alucard what was actually going on, but Enoch's voice whispered cruelly in the back of her mind. _Don't you dare tell him, vampire. Let's keep it our little secret, shall we? _She struggled to escape his hold on her, her body burning as she fought the order with her entire soul.

_I'm simply not strong enough_ she whimpered mentally, wanting to sob as her traitorous body relaxed in her master's grip. It threw him off guard long enough to allow her to swiftly knee his groin. With a hiss he let go of her, allowing her body to cartwheel backwards and sling all her energy into grabbing his heart. _I can't win this. As long as he believes he'll live, I can't kill him!_ She felt her resolve give as the thought of her eminent death loomed in her mind. She glanced to see that her body was now trying to both evade Alucard's arms and break them off at the same time.

Something pulled at the back of her mind, something that Walter had once said about her Master, when she wondered aloud at the fact that she'd been _chosen_ to be a vampire. He'd turned to her with a serious air, and she'd never forgotten what he'd said.

"You know Miss Victoria, Alucard once told me that he'd chosen you because you refused to give up, even as you stood at the mouth of Hell itself. He was extremely impressed by your actions, and thought you deserved another chance at living. In fact, no matter what you refused to do, he never gave up the belief that one day you'd make a wonderful vampire and furthermore, he never gave up the hope that you'd accept your lot in life. I really wouldn't want to let him down, my dear. This is the first time he's held hope in, well, _anything_ as far as I can remember. " Seras felt the old man's words comfort her from beyond the grave. _My Master believes in me, no matter what he says. _She felt an anger bubbling within her; how dare she give up so easily. Was she a simple human? No! She was Seras Victoria, and Seras Victoria never gave up!

She poured all her power into her soul, trying desperately to ignore the burning of the runes as she disobeyed the Hellsing's orders, and in one powerful push:

"READ MY MIND!" she screamed, feeling her vocal cords stretch and almost break with the force. Alucard jumped back, glasses askew and his face and clothing all scratched. He studied her for a few moments before phasing close to tackle her to the ground. She felt her body struggle, but she kept pushing, and Alucard gazed deep into her eyes and she just _knew_ that he saw the "real" her down in their depths. She cheered mentally as she felt him push unforgivingly into her mind. She reveled in the pain, for once not minding his force as he sifted through every feeling and memory she held. He smiled wickedly, making her soul shiver at the connotations of his most evil grin splayed along his face. Even though her body still fought against him, he pushed his mind to intertwine it with hers. She finally felt peaceful, knowing that he'd make it okay again.

"Interesting. I'm surprised you have so much faith in me, Police Girl," he murmured as he bent close, his hair tickling her cheeks. "Nevertheless, I will give retribution where it's due. Don't you worry about that. Hellsing may own me, but there are boundaries for what is and is not acceptable." He phased away, and Seras felt her body lurch as she once again flew-this time back in the direction of the Manor.

Seras sat as her body flew across the landscape, feeling like a prisoner and worrying about Enoch. She really didn't want Alucard to be punished for losing control on the young man. She felt something growing in her mind, and realized that the Manor was already on the horizon, which meant that her master was also there. She shivered internally as it grew closer. She was getting a very bad feeling…..

* * *

When Seras landed, the first thing she noticed was that all hell had literally broken loose. The manor was on fire. Flames shooting everywhere. Her heart lurched as her female instincts told her to find Gabe, but her body again betrayed her and flew straight to the roof, where Enoch and Alucard were locked in a standoff.

"Come on then! Kill me! What's the worse you can do?" Enoch shouted between twisted chuckles. His green eyes danced in the flames, wild and uncaring of the danger around him. Alucard had unleashed his powers, whether unwillingly or on purpose Seras didn't know. He had caused the fires of Hell to burn in the mansion, and his face was the face of Satan himself, angry and vengeance-bound. Seras jumped on him again, but he swatted her aside like a fly, one arm holding her at bay as she hissed and bit, kicking at his torso.

"No, not you, _Master _ though believe me; I would if I could. But I will kill until you release her." Enoch acted as though he didn't hear, simply smiling and watching Seras.

"No, I don't think I will." He said finally as he cocked his head at her. Alucard put himself between Seras and Enoch, forcing the insane man to give the vampire his full attention.

"Listen to me, fool. Until you give her back to me, the blood will flow. First your men: I'll drain them slowly as they beg for mercy. Then that pitiful Council of idiots, who think they know everything. Next Parliament, next the Queen; I'll keep going until the _world's_ awash in blood!" he roared. Enoch narrowed his eyes at the vampire.

"You dare threaten her Majesty's life, cretin?" he hissed as he moved back towards the door to the manor. Seras tried to crane her head, but her body had finally broken free and begun to fight tried to throw herself in front of him, but she couldn't hold on to the buckles of his jacket, and the eye in the middle of his chest was staring at her, unseeing. He growled and threw her aside, and her leg snapped when she hit the wall. She heard screams and still she tried to stop him, dragging herself with her one good leg and her hands. She lifted her head, hearing a new shriek punctuating the air, along with the smell of burning and searing pain in her mind.

"Master!" she called as she finally felt Enoch's order leave her, his mind occupied with more important things. She felt her Master's grim bloodlust as flashes of his sight crowded her memory. She watched in horror, citing off the names of the men she'd grown to respect be killed and drained of all their blood, the bodies dumped unceremoniously on the ground as the next man was ensnared in shadows and brought to his doom. She lay on the ground with her leg throbbing and sobbed not for herself, but for the men who had to suffer for her own mistakes. _It's all my fault_. She moaned in her mind as she slowly stained the concrete with red, the flames casting shadows on her broken frame.

* * *

Seras lay still, her emotions leaving her drained and empty as she listened to the carnage being wrought downstairs. She opened her eyes, her expression blank. She felt Enoch calling her to the basement, and did little more than phase through the ground, landing with a thump in her own room at his feet. Enoch kicked her hard breaking at least three ribs and she rolled, but made no sound.

"Look at me, bitch," he snarled, grabbing her chin and forcing it to his own face. She stared at his blood-soaked hair and ripped jacket. The Hellsing crest emblazoned on the lapel had been torn in two, the bottom half hanging by a few threads.

Some part of her mind considered the symbolic nature of the sight, but it was quelled by the larger sound of Abby singing her lullaby in Seras' head. She couldn't concentrate because Abby was singing too loud, although she knew very well that Abby wasn't really singing in her mind. Abby had already joined the souls that were moaning in a staccato at the back of Seras' mind, continuously whispering their misery to the woman, even when she yelled at them to stop.

The voices, the sounds, the smells of blood and battle: _Was this how Master felt all the time?_ she thought, floating in the pool of voices in her own mind. It was enough to make one die of sensory overload. However, the thought of going insane from it all wasn't scary anymore; it sounded pleasant, not having to worry about the voices. It would be so nice just to let the avalanche of pain bury her and never crawl out from it again. Suffocating under the screams of humans, which she'd never hear over that _damned_ lullaby! _Who cares about robins?_ She thought before thinking over the absurdity of the sentence and starting to giggle. The giggles turned into chuckles which burst from her throat in broken gasps.

"Useless. Get in your coffin and stay there." Enoch spat, throwing her in the direction of the nice, pretty blue coffin Abby had bought for her on her birthday one year. She'd even had it engraved with a white dove, Seras' favorite bird. Seras did as she was told, climbing into the open coffin and lying there, still chuckling at the ceiling. Enoch stood over her and moved his hands in strange patterns, leaving small trails of light on his fingertips. Seras suddenly jerked out of her insanity as she felt her body freeze into position, although she could still see and hear everything that was happening. She couldn't move a single muscle, and it was _scary_. She stared at Enoch, who prodded her with one finger before nodding at his actions. She heard him walk away, only to return with an old book. He held the book open and showed it to Seras.

"It's okay. It's just a simple freezing spell. I wanted to make sure Alucard couldn't get you." He turned to another page that had been folded down and bookmarked. "This one here severs the link, not entirely-just a bit- so that he can't get in touch with you mentally. It's one that I helped finish, although Abraham van Hellsing began to work on it back in his day. Isn't it interesting?" Enoch said with unrestrained glee as he gazed down at Seras. "Not that you have to answer, of course. I don't expect you to." Seras panicked, realizing what seemed so scary. She pushed out with her mind, but for the first time Alucard wasn't within reach. She flailed inside, not knowing what to do. She'd never felt so alone in her life; even as a human, she'd never known the need to have a mental bond until she'd gotten one and now it was gone. She stared back up at Enoch, who was looking at her strangely.

"It's fascinating. Even as frozen as you are, I can still see the pain and misery in your eyes. Why didn't I think of this before?" he murmured, stroking her cheek with one hand as the door opened. Seras recognized the voice of Sir Penwood. Enoch mumbled something and then Seras felt a shake as 7 men lifted her coffin and carried it.

* * *

Once again, she was outside on the roof. She stared at the dark of the evening sky, alight with color but slowly fading to the blackness of night. She had been alone for a while now, and the screams had stopped but she wondered what was going on. Suddenly, she heard footsteps heading toward her.

"See?" she heard Enoch say as he slowly came into view, staring over her from a spot near her legs. She wanted to blink at him, but instead her master's face filled her vision and he stared at her, disbelieving. She once again felt a pang of loss as she looked at him, wanting his voice in her head.

"I command you to speak to me, Police Girl." Alucard said in a subdued tone. "Talk to me mentally. Let me know you're in there." He leaned close, and she saw the frustration and sadness in her eyes as they were reflected in his glasses. He took them off, and she saw an equal pain in his own crimson orbs. He picked her frozen body out of the coffin, looking at her strangely. Leaning down, she felt him breath in her scent before he licked the dried bloody tears off of her cheeks. He tenderly put her down again, his eyes roving over her like he'd never see her again. Seras got the feeling that he'd remain by her side for the rest of eternity if he could. She heard Enoch talking just out of her field of vision.

"Like I said before, I'm afraid we have to take your promise to kill the Queen very seriously, Alucard. That's why I'm evoking the God Clause on you, right now." Alucard looked up, and she saw Enoch's mock-apologetic face staring at him, before he made a sign in the air and Alucard groaned, falling back against Seras' coffin. She wanted to scream, too , feeling her Master's pain although she couldn't comfort him. _Not entirely-just a bit-_ now it made sense. Enoch didn't want to break her off of Alucard; he only wanted her to suffer as much as her master did. The burning agony spread from her heart down through her veins. She realized that her heart had begun to beat again, and she couldn't even writhe in the agony of something that _shouldn't_ be happening. She heard the other councilmen chanting a spell, and the pain grew as her heart beat faster, spreading air through her veins instead of the blood that should have been there if her Master hadn't drained her all those years ago. She heard him moaning as well, and she realized with a jolt that even the freeze spell couldn't stop the tears coursing down her face from the pain.

_Somnus in Dei nomine: Malum creaturae inferni vade. _

The pain was almost unbearable. Seras faintly realized that Alucard was calling her name, along with words in some other language. The chanting increased; waves of Latin verse crashing in her ears and creating a dull roar.

_Nemo tetigit te: Solum rumpit vocem domini tui incantatores. Gentium, da imperium tuum. _

Alucard had fallen to where she couldn't see him. She saw two men come and a thump later, Seras realized he'd been put into his coffin as it was carried to be laid next to her own. She felt the power diminishing from her Master, and her panic reached a new height as the pain she was feeling began to ebb. _Is he dying?_ She thought, trying in vain to connect her mind with his.

"_Amen_." Enoch said, and Seras heard chains clinking. The councilmen swarmed over Alucard's coffin, and the pain finally went away completely, leaving Seras to gaze up at the insane man that was wiping the tears from her cheeks with a kerchief. Enoch tucked the bloody cloth back into his pocket.

"It's okay, Seras. Alucard's going back in the basement where he belongs. No one will ever find him again, I believe. You see, I've come to a decision. This fire will wipe out every trace of Hellsing history; at least, that's what the public will know. I've already got the flames put down, and I'm going to get rid of every last scrap of information about you two. It'll be better this way." Enoch nodded to himself. "Gabe is young, he'll forget you with time. I'm sure he'll pass it off as the figments of a child's imagination. Vampires don't exist, right Seras?" Seras listened in shock to the man's words.

"Now, I'll still be in the mercenary business, so my assets aren't frozen just yet. However, even though I'm hiding Alucard in the basement and you in the attic, I understand that the time may come when you're accidentally awakened. So, here are my last orders to you, my faithful servant. Even though this entire affair is your fault, I still hold enough faith in you, you see. Now listen well." Seras felt the last bit of resolve in her break apart, and resigned to the man's will.

"You, if you are indeed awakened, will act only in the best interests of the current Hellsing heir. You will not awaken Alucard, you will not hint that there ever WAS an Alucard. If the Hellsing boy or girl learns on her own, you can answer questions, but don't give them an edge. Now, you may awaken your Master only-and listen closely- _only_ if you find my descendent threatened by a force that you alone cannot defeat. This is your exception to the rule. Do you understand Seras? Of course you do."

Seras heard the creak of her coffin lid being shut, and a slight pounding of nails. Enoch tapped three times on the lid to get her attention.

"This is the last time we meet, Seras Victoria. I hope you never see the light of day again. Now _sleep_."

* * *

Fulton jerked back as he came to. Feeling something on his face, he wiped to realize that tears were coursing down his soul's cheeks. He sat quietly for a moment, feeling Ariel squeezing his hand.

"So…that's what happened. The truth," He said softly as he turned to look at the Zână. She nodded sadly.

"I'm afraid so." Fulton shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

"My ancestor was a _dick_," he said finally in disgust. Ariel shook her head.

"No, he was only in love. In his later years, he realized his mistake. He longed, on his deathbed, for Seras to find some way to forgive him. Come here once more." She pointed to the blackness.

* * *

_**An elderly Enoch Hellsing say bent in a library, looking at a journal. He reads the last page, a simple paragraph he'd written many years earlier about the statue that now stood in London. He turned to the last page, grabbing his pen in his shaking hand. He sighs, and begins to write.**_

**Dear Someone: If you're reading this, then I am dead and you've found the Hellsing journal. This journal is all that's left of the legacy that was once the Hellsing Organization, a proud organization that I single-handedly brought to the ground in my selfishness. My name is Enoch Hellsing, and I'm putting this journal in the least-used library of the house, in the hope that someday, someone may find it and learn. **

**I cannot tell you of my blunder, or the two people I caused the most pain to, because you wouldn't understand. However, I'd like to leave a message to the person whom I shattered in my own pain and misery, who has every right to hate me. **

** Seras: If you're reading this, you know what's happened and now you're awake again. You have every right to feel nothing but hatred and rage towards me. I accept that, because I deserve it. The blame should never have fallen on you; it is my fault alone. I've had these last 60 years to think about the pain I caused you, and I only ask one thing even though I have no right to ask it. I only hope that somewhere in your heart is enough kindness to forgive a young man's mistakes. I'm dying, Seras, and I will carry guilt with me throughout the remainder of my life and into death. I ask for God's forgiveness, but He cannot give me what is only yours to give. If you can't do this, I understand. Please take my heartfelt apologies. I should have never done anything like that to you. I beg of you to forgive me. **

**Again, I can't give you any details of my woes, but I can offer some advice. If you are ever in any need of assistance, and you find yourself backed into a corner, there is one last help available to you, as a Hellsing. **

**Excita Volatilia Caeli et Inferno. Salutem expectat****.**

_**The man sighed, his body tired. He shut the book and placed it on a shelf, wondering if it would ever be found. **_

* * *

The blackness shifted again.

_**Seras stood with tears running down her cheeks as she read Enoch's last message to the world. A sleeping boy lay in the bed next to her, and she stared at him before looking in the mirror disgustedly. Her chest heaved as she tried to make no sound, although she was sobbing. She carefully ripped the page out, leaving only the message the boy had found. She tucked the page inside her jacket, placing the journal on the nightstand, along with a note of her own for the boy to find. She wondered if she could forgive him. The only thing she knew was that she'd carry out his orders, knowing that this boy didn't need to suffer for his ancestor's mistake. **_

* * *

Author's Note:_ Sorry about any feels. It only gets worse as we go along. LOL**  
**_


	29. The Truth About Alucard

**Author's Note:** _As always, thanks for the reviews! I'm glad that you people missed me ;)  
Here's some more goodie-good-Hellsing-goodness. Enjoy you guttersnipes! (I joke about the guttersnipes)  
I'm posting the last couple of chapters in one big bulk post. Enjoy!  
_

* * *

Fulton smiled uncomfortably as the scenes finally faded, uncertain of how to respond. He finally turned to Ariel.

"I thought Seras said she waited until I was twelve to kill me, but decided against it then," he said. Ariel raised an eyebrow.

"She simply neglected to tell you of all the other times. She didn't want to hurt your feelings more." Fulton winced, suddenly grateful that he was still living. Ariel giggled, pulling him and he once again felt the free-falling sensation before he slammed into his body with a gasp. He saw Renfield finish his draught and realized that no time had passed in the mortal world while he was gone. He blinked and looked around at the bustling Shoppe, still getting his bearings as Ariel grinned at him. Renfield put down his bottle and reached across the table to pat Fulton's arm.

"Did you have fun? It's a little unsettling the first time. I'm sure Ariel treated you well though." Renfield chuckled and winked at the flustered young man. "I'm sure you saw everything?" Fulton gulped and nodded, feeling a headache beginning to pound at the back of his skull.

"Yes, it was-unsettling to say the least. I had no idea….Seras almost went insane," Fulton sputtered, not sure where to even begin. Renfield nodded his face a taking on a serious expression that didn't fit with the man's normal moods.

"Can you blame her?" he said quietly, rubbing his chin. "Anyone would go crazy after seeing such horror so soon. Even you felt a twinge of insanity in your youth, did you not?" Fulton nodded slowly, remembering the panic-induced shutdown he'd had as a child during and after the events of his orphaning and the awakening of Seras.

"But she's okay now, right?" he asked uncertainly, a slight plead in his voice. Renfield licked his lips and stared out into the crowd.

"I think so. But then there is an instance that happens, and it makes me believe she's gone down the same path Alucard took. I worry, but her heart's still in the right place. I think that's partly your doing. You've kept her from becoming the monster Alucard is." Fulton frowned, placing his hands in his lap and looking across at the supernatural pair sitting in the booth.

"I don't understand. You, Seras, Alucard-everyone says that Alucard is a monster. But I haven't even seen him do anything _extremely_ bad. Yes, he roughed me up a little once; yes, he's really the Count of lore; hell, he even has a 6-eyed demon as a pet. But I just haven't seen him do anything _monstrous._" He watched as Renfield and Ariel exchanged a look. "Is it just hear-say?" Renfield cleared his throat awkwardly, and Ariel bit her lip, touching Renfield's wrist.

"Ce putem spune?" she said in a low mutter. Renfield balked, making a face and tapping the edge of the chair, his nervousness on full display.

"Nu stiu. Cred că ar trebui doar să spun că?" Ariel shook her head, then nodded, then made a worried face. Renfield turned to Fulton and scratched his head.

"Well, you see m'boy; we just don't want to worry you even more. If Alucard ever came out of his bond with Hellsing, we'd all be going to hell in a hand basket, so to say." Renfield bit his finger tentatively. "Let's just say that Alucard has been known to act…improper and inhumanly on more than one occasion." He shrugged and Fulton shook his head in confusion, before Ariel whispered something to Renfield, who laughed and nodded. Renfield stood up in the booth and hopped on top of the chair. "Lemme show you something, my dear boy." He turned to the crowd and although he only cleared his throat, Fulton felt _something_ go through the air and the Shoppe grew silent, turning to look at Renfield, who opened his mouth and brought down the house.

* * *

"Who here can tell this young man about Alucard?" Renfield asked, pointing to Fulton. The air stood, thick with tension. Suddenly, about half of the creatures in the Shoppe simply vanished, or ran out the door in a sheer panic. The vampires that mingled with the crowd gazed at Renfield like he had gone cuckoo. Some of them turned tail and phased away, clearly not comfortable with the question. Finally, after the Shoppe had mostly cleared the German girl stepped forward, speaking in a thick accent.

"Day say Alucard is _der Teufel _himself," she said in hushed tones. A man with a handlebar mustache came from behind her, his violet eyes aglow.

"Alucard is the King of Vampires. No one dares cross his path. He's known for some of the most infamous bloodbaths in history," the mustachioed man said in a reverent voice. A crimson-eyed woman by the bar dressed in Regent clothing waved her fan in front of her face.

"He started ze French Revolution, I tell you zis. Ze 'umans had to explain away a lot of zat." She murmured. A girl behind the bar popped up to give a big grin, leaning forward like she had a great secret.

"Some say he's as powerful a vampire as he is a lover," she purred. The Frenchwoman tittered behind her fan, nodding unabashedly.

The vampires all commented a rumor or fact about the No-Life-King; the younger ones in nervousness and the elders with respect and the kind of knowing that comes only with eons of life. The other supernatural creatures that stayed offered more unbiased opinions on the vampire, but never going too disrespectful for fear of retribution. Fulton sat and listened with growing disgust to the stories that flew about his servant's path of bloodshed, violence, and sex. He turned to look at Renfield, who had settled back into his seat and was listening to the stories with a curious mixture of mirth and belief.

"These can't possibly be true, can they? Seras wouldn't go for someone who would-"Fulton asked before Ariel laid a hand on his palm.

"Seras doesn't know, child. What she doesn't know won't kill her in Alucard's eyes, although she does have an idea about what he's done. Alucard is a monster: he feeds on fear, lusts for carnage, and lives only to destroy entire civilizations. We're only grateful to Hellsing for keeping him under control all these years. Before that, he at least stayed mostly in the _Curteade Vampiri-_that is to say, the Vampires Court. Of course, the vampires are a monarchial hierarchy that have their own, as well as their own strange way of etiquette, but that didn't stop Alucard's lust for blood driving him to causing many bloody, needless wars. No one can stop him if he gets out of control," Ariel lectured solemnly, and Fulton realized that the Zână feared the vampire's presence keenly.

"Except," Renfield said quietly, staring at his bottle on the table. Ariel and Fulton both turned to look at him, waiting. "Except, my good fellows-now he's got a Achilles' heel. I'd never thought I'd see the day that _Alucard_ would have a limitation." Fulton leaned forward as Ariel looked on disbelievingly. Renfield looked up to the two people before smiling happily. "But I'll leave you two to figure that one out on your own. It's almost time for Fulton to be home where he belongs. After all, he's got guests to take care of." Renfield turned and thanked Ariel before grabbing Fulton without another word. Fulton saw his world literally flip and disappear as he was pushed through what looked like the fabric of time itself, landing with a thump on the lawn of Hellsing manor. He turned over, his eyes adding to his discomfort and retching again on the ground, although this time he felt Seras standing over him. As he came back to reality, he realized that she was chastising Renfield.

"God knows you're the only one that can stand traveling that way, Renny. At least give him some forewarning!" she snapped, rubbing Fulton's back soothingly. Renfield chuckled.

"It's actually easier when you don't clench. That's why I do it like that." Seras hummed disapprovingly before Fulton stood, swaying slightly. Renfield turned to leave, but hesitated when Fulton called for him.

"Wait! Macabre Marionette, Renfield." The man turned and nodded with his usual smile in place.

"Ah, the _Macabre Marionette. _Or, to say- the Ghoulish Puppet. Quite an interesting phenomenon, m'boy. Well, I'll see you around. Take care!" and vanished with a pop. Seras looked at the spot where he vanished, playing with the rim of her fedora.

"Macabre Marionette….where've I heard that before?" she asked the young man beside her who was slowly turning back to his normal pallor, although he still looked as green as his shirt. "Oh well. Ettore and that Bridgette girl is still here, but your aunt's left again for Italy. Something about an unwelcome air," Seras said cheerfully, clearly not caring for the woman's sudden departure. Fulton shared in her happiness, but the back of his mind still nagged him. He knew what he had to do when the time came, but he just wasn't sure if he was brave enough. He didn't want to hurt Seras, but….but that was a thought for another time. At the moment, he went to tend to his guests.

* * *

Fulton sat in the moonlight, staring at Integra's grave. After a nice dinner that involved Bridgette almost getting killed for a snark comment made towards Alucard, he had come to understand Father Ettore's worries that Bridgette wasn't made for the nunnery. The girl was too…temperamental. After dinner, the group walked out to the shooting range, where Bridgette and Seras both showed their skills against the targets. Fulton hadn't joined the fun, his newfound choice still weighing heavily on his mind. After seeing the memories of the past, his genius brain had put two and two together, and a plan had formed. It would take some work, and nothing could go wrong; however, he was 99.9% sure that Willa would be dead when it was all over. He sighed, pulling his knees to his chest.

"I wish I had a smidgen of your bravery, Integra," he said, tracing the "I" on her gravestone. A soft sound from behind him made him jump, and he turned to see Bridgette standing there. When she realized she'd been noticed, she blushed and looked everywhere but at Fulton.

"I…er-I strayed off the path and got myself lost, I'm afraid. Sorry to ruin your silence," she said gruffly, turning to stare back into the woods. Fulton stood up, brushing the grass off his pants.

"I'll take you back to the Manor. At night, the grounds are hard to make out so directions are out of the question," he said politely, turning to make sure the woman followed him. As they walked in silence, Fulton felt the need to say _something_. "Um-your marksmanship is impeccable. You're a real asset to the Vatican, I presume." Bridgette huffed.

"I would be if they let me go out on missions." She muttered irritably. Fulton chuckled, getting a dark look from the shorter girl.

"I suppose if the "nun life" doesn't work out for you, I'd love to have you here at Hellsing. Our soldiers need a good trainer, and Seras does the job, but she can only go out at night. I'd need someone for the daytime, too," Fulton said nonchalantly, but the girl simply huffed. "Just a thought." They walked the rest of the way in silence, until the Manor came into view and Fulton turned. "I need you to go and get the Father for me. Both of you please meet me in the dining room. A late night snack and a meeting seem to be in order." Bridgette looked confused, but nodded and walked off to get her boss. Fulton turned, calling for Alucard and Seras to find Winston and meet him in the dining room as well. It was time to unveil his plan, while he still had the guts to go through with it.

* * *

**Afterword**: Oh dear, this means…..we're only a few chapters away from the end! Please say it ain't so!


	30. The Plan

**Author's Note:** This is a tiny chapter. The next chapter is the _biggie. _**Preparez vos mouchoirs. T_T we're taking this all the way, people. **

* * *

Fulton finished his speech, and looked over the tiny group. Father Ettore, Winston, and Bridgette were all sitting with bowls of Victoria Sandwich cake, staring open-mouthed. Seras and Alucard were standing in the shadows, and both wore blank expressions behind their glasses. Seras spoke first.

"That's a very tiny margin for error, Sir." Fulton nodded.

"I know that it's asking a lot, but if we all remember our parts and work together, I'm almost positive that Wilhelmina will be dead." He looked at the less-than-eager humans, who were all silently calculating the chance that they'd survive the encounter. Bridgette finally closed her eyes and swallowed, before standing up.

"Let me repeat this back to you. Correct me if I'm wrong, okay?" she said in a businesslike fashion, picking up the scrap of paper she had been sharing with Father Ettore. "Alucard is supposed to lure the target here," she looked up. "How?" Alucard stepped out of the shadows, giving her a fanged grin.

"I have my ways American," he said maliciously, and Bridgette looked at him warily before turning her attention back to the notes.

"Er-okay then. So when the target gets here, Winston and I will lead the army of soldiers to battle the twins, her servants." Fulton nodded.

"Willa's disadvantage is that she relies solely on her personal ghouls-her puppets if you will. If they're out of the picture, she stands alone. This important step gives us the advantage. Of course, Winston-you'll give the word to the soldier's on their part." Winston nodded, murmuring his assent. Bridgette coughed slightly and continued.

"Meanwhile, while we engage the twins, Seras and Alucard will be waging a battle on the roof with the target. This will not kill the target, only wear it down. Also, you will be preparing for the final assault. After the twins have been annihilated, it's up to Seras and Alucard to keep Willa at the roof long enough for Fulton to come up and deliver the final blow, allowing Willa to become human?" Fulton nodded again.

"Mina Harker isn't a vampire, nor is she a human. One wrong step and she finds herself in the realm of us mortals. This will be the only attempt we have to end her life for good." Fulton cleared his throat, looking to see if there were any more questions. Everyone seemed to accept their lot; the vampires phased together to go talk about the coming battle, and the humans all stood and single-filed their way out the door. Bridgette went to follow the Father but turned to grab Fulton's jacket.

"I don't believe this is everything. You're hiding something; I know it," she said quietly. Fulton found himself in a stare-off with the girl, who held his gaze until he put a hand over hers, disengaging her from his jacket. She jerked her hand out of his, staring at him incredulously. He smiled gently.

"Yes, I'm hiding something. But I promise it's in everyone's best interest. I don't want any leaks of any kind. You'll find out soon enough, Brig." The woman stiffened at the nickname, but didn't correct him.

"Why are you trying to be so buddy-buddy with me, Protestant?" she growled instead. Fulton shrugged, and she bristled.

"I'm just being friendly. We're teammates for the moment; let's get along okay?" he said brightly. Bridgette said nothing, watching him with a strange expression before turning and leaving the room. Fulton watched her, frowning to himself as he moved to his bedroom. He fingered Integra's pistol, which was safely in his pocket. Holding the pistol with him made him feel as though the woman was with him, lending her support. _And I'm going to need all the support I can get…_

* * *

**Afterword:** Told ya it was short. Sorry. Next chapter ho!


	31. Fulton's Prayer

**Author's Note:** "_I'm so, so sorry for what's about to happen. I take full blame. Just read, and be prepared to cry"_

* * *

Fulton fell on the ground when the first wave of power hit. He'd been waiting patiently for Willa's arrival, his feelings bordering between nervousness and terrifying calm. He burst out of his office, running for the balcony. He dodged a slew of gunfire and peeked around the corner, seeing the twins fighting against the whole army. It was clear that they'd win if it wasn't for the sniper and Judas working side-by-side to keep them at bay. Fulton realized that _that_ was the reason Bridgette kept her hair tied behind her; when it was tucked into her belt it served as eyes in the back of her head. Every time a twin brushed it she turned and shot with expert precision. Winston was engaging the other twin-both arms held pistols and he shot with tactful grace, twisting and turning to avoid the blades the twins used as main weapons.

Fulton wondered briefly where their guns were before turning and quietly making his way along the back wall, avoiding the enemy's attention. He caught Winston's eye and gave a quick thumbs-up before heading back down to the main ammunition room. He closed and locked the door before searching for the bullets to use for Integra's gun: they weren't there. Blinking, Fulton dug deeper into the shelves, pulling out things and throwing them aside. His search grew frantic as he realized the only weapon he'd not given to the soldiers had no bullets. He thought back to the last time he used them, wondering where they'd be. Panicking, he sat down on a barrel and forced himself to calm down. _It's only a monkey wrench in the plan; I can think of something. _He wracked his brain, only to think about getting a gun from an injured soldier downstairs. He made the "sheep-sound" at the thought of walking right into battle, but he stood and tucked the pistol back into his pants. He gasped a short prayer before running back towards the fray.

* * *

He gulped at the top of the stairs before running blindly into the midst of the battle. He stopped as his ears were accosted by gunfire, unsure of where the casualties even were. He glanced around before feeling something whir beside his head as he was tackled into the hall.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Bridgette screamed over the din as she leaned up from where she'd tackled him. Where his head had been, a blade wavered slightly in the wall before falling to the ground, forgotten. The twin simply conjured another one and continued the fight.

"I was-my gun has no bullets," Fulton said weakly. "I need a gun to distract Willa." Bridgette shook her head, cursing a storm.

"Holy-I thought that you were going to make Willa human, not distract her!" she snapped, looking at the battle still being raged. Fulton nodded, blurting out his secret.

"I am; I have to throw the gun to Seras, so that when Willa tries to attack Seras to get the gun away I can step in front of her and get myself killed," he explained quickly, looking on the floor for any type of firearm. Bridgette stared at him wide-eyed before grabbing his lapel and throwing him back against the wall.

"You hurt your head when I tackled you," she said, rubbing a hand through his hair and looking for blood or bumps. Fulton shook his head, pushing her away.

"No, this was my plan all along. Willa can only be injured if someone is killed as a sacrifice. A long time ago, Abby Hellsing threw herself in front of her son. She was the sacrifice Seras needed to injure Willa, but it didn't kill her. This "Lord of Fire" Willa talks about-_Feu_-is a demon of some sort. I recognized the symptoms of the spell from a tome that's in the Western Library. That's how she was able to return."

He saw that Bridgette still didn't understand. "I'm sorry, I just can't explain anymore. This is the last time we'll meet, okay? For the record-burn scars and all, you're pretty cute lady. You'll be a bad nun, but my offer still stands after my death. Join Hellsing." And with that, Fulton ran out of the safety of the hall to grab the blade, turning on his heel to dash back up the stairs and leaving a confused and slightly worried Bridgette. She stopped him halfway up the stairs.

"Hey!" she yelled, leaving him to turn and look down at her. "You've got balls, Fulton Hellsing," she said in respect, giving him a thumbs-up before running out to the battle. Fulton nodded at the compliment, continuing his mad sprint to the roof.

_Now, if I can only keep them long enough to do this…._

* * *

Fulton crouched behind the door to the roof, looking in awe at the battle unfolding before him. Alucard and Seras were attacking Mina faster than he could see, and he heard shouts, screams, slurs, and gunfire. Blood coated the roof, and he got a nauseous feeling. Turning to sit with his back against the door, he closed his eyes before the tears escaped.

_What am I thinking? I can't do this! I'll die-I'll die-I DON'T WANT TO DIE! _He moaned and clutched the blade for dear life, his mind focused on the unfeasible thing he was about to attempt. His mind had formulated an alternate plan, but he couldn't bear to think about the consequences. He looked over his shoulder to see Seras, bloodstained and sweaty as she tried to gain some ground on Mina. _For her, though. I'd do it for her._ He stood, closing his eyes. He sighed, thinking. He began to speak softly, murmuring the words like a prayer or an invocation.

"I am Fulton Abraham Hellsing. I am about to die." He clutched the blade in his hand, feeling the smooth handle. "Alexander Anderson, my ancestor," he whispered, the name rolling off his tongue. "Help me. I only have one shot-I need this blade to strike true." He gulped, his chest heaving as he slowly opened the door wider. Seras was blown back against the wall, and Fulton saw Mina raise her hand to strike. It was his chance.

Fulton ran as hard as he could, the blade held in both his hands. True to his wish, he could _feel_ something guiding the blade, and he could almost _see_ hands covering his own, strength filling him where he had none before. He saw his bright green eyes reflected in the blade, flashing as he swung it high above his head, jumping as hard as he could. He brought it down into Mina's shoulder, the grating sound of metal meeting bone harsh against his ears. The reverberation of the blade made his arms turn to jelly, but it was as if someone helped him to finish pushing the blade in as deep as it would go. He swung off, being rolled to the side and hitting his head hard on the concrete roof.

* * *

His first thought was how he was alive, because he was hurting. The thought-_I'm alive! I'm alive?-_turned from elation at his still-beating heart into horror and a sinking feeling as he stood, realizing his plan to die at Mina's hand failed. The blade was still sticking in her left shoulder, certainly piercing her heart but she seemed to give it no thought, snarling only at the boy. Fulton stood his shoulder sore and his head feeling fuzzy. He looked at her, his courage and strength leaving him a terrified, shaking young man. He saw Seras out of the corner of his eye; she was screaming at him but for some reason he couldn't hear her. His attention was focused on Mina, who had pulled her hand up again, the fire sparking in her eyes-and Fulton knew that he would die, but not the way he'd planned.

_I screwed it up oh god everyone's doomed I don't know I'm sorry Seras I'm sorry Alucard I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry_

He watched, unable to move as the world slowed into slow motion. His life flashed before his eyes, and he stood helplessly as Mina brought her hand down, her cackle coupled with Seras' scream the only thing he could hear as he watched the bolt of light burst toward him, faster than either Alucard or Seras could move and he knew-oh, he knew and he could only close his eyes and hope that there'd be no pain.

He waited, but the pain never came even though he heard the sound of blood and guts being blown everywhere, and the soft grunt that…wasn't his? He opened his eyes, and Mina's terrible screech was only drowned out by his own screams of disbelief and horror.

His plan had worked after all.

* * *

**Afterword:** (sobs to self) just-go to the next page.


	32. They Will Live On

Fulton watched in dismay as Winston slumped against him, leaving a clear view of Mina trying to reach the blade now surrounded by spurting blood. Seras was gasping, still reaching in Fulton's directions. Alucard was just staring. Winston whispered almost inaudibly.

"Sir….my gun-in…pocket….finish it," he gasped in Fulton's ear. Fulton finally felt the tears coursing down his cheeks, reaching in his friend's pocket to pull out the bloody pistol. He held Winston's cheek against his own, raising the gun over the man's shoulders to unload a single blessed bullet into Mina's heart. She gasped, clutching the hole before smiling sadly.

"_Mon cœr brisè…" _she moaned softly before erupting in a cloud of ash that flew miles into the air. Fulton fell to the ground, and Seras finally unfroze to catch Winston as he fell. Alucard removed his hat, moving to stand a ways off. Fulton slumped his shoulders, looking for some way to save Winston although his heart knew the awful truth. Winston smiled faintly as Seras leaned over him, twin trails of red coursing down her cheeks.

"Sir….Bridge-told me…couldn't let you," Winston started. Fulton shook his head.

"Shh. Don't talk. You shouldn't have." Fulton said shakily. Winston blinked slowly.

"Had to-sacrifice-not," he started again, but stopped as he tried to take a deep breath. He turned to look up at Seras, his brown gaze meeting her tear-filled eyes. "Seras….Seras…." he said simply, his voice filled with longing. Seras gazed at him, shaking her head and choking up. "Seras, I…I lo-" Winston started, but the smile on his face froze as the light went out of his eyes. Seras made a sound, clutching his chest to her face and sobbing something unintelligible. Alucard looked on with a blank face, but Fulton could tell he was a little shaken by the man's sacrifice. The ash began to fall around them like snow, sticking in the congealing pools of blood and to everyone's hair. Fulton stood, keeping his eyes closed. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Bridgette standing behind him, tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry; he asked me what you were going to do and I told him-I'm sorry," she said sadly, her eyes full of guilt. Fulton shook his head, guiding her back to the doorway.

"It's not your fault, Brig. By doing that, he saved us all," he said, wiping the tears from his own cheeks. "He made the ultimate sacrifice."

* * *

A few days later, the Manor looked as though nothing had happened to it, except for the funeral party outside in the Soldier's Cemetery. The black clad members stood solemnly as both Father Ettore and a Protestant priest gave eulogies and said prayers for the souls of the dead. Seras and Alucard were also in attendance, although they stood under a large tree out of the sunlight.

Counting Winston, a total of 12 soldiers gave their lives for the Manor, and Fulton felt the brunt of every one of them on his shoulders. He considered this fact-it made him understand what being "an adult" meant. He looked over at the flowers. Renfield hadn't been able to attend, but had sent a lovely wreath of lilies that were every color of the rainbow, arranged in a beautiful swirling pattern. Ariel had also send a tiny bouquet that was placed on the monument marking the sacrifice all Hellsing soldiers make for their country-it was a flower Fulton had never seen, but Alucard had recognized them and called them Măceş, although at first Fulton had thought he'd said "Mudish". He stood next to Bridgette, looking quietly at the rows of graves with a melancholy air. Licking his lips, he turned and began to walk away, thinking hard about life.

* * *

Afterword: _Juju sobs without abandon, crying for her OC. Everyone tells her to get a life and moves onto the next chapter. _


	33. Finale

**Author's Note**: GASP! _**The Last Chapter**_! I just started writing and couldn't stop until it was over. My writer's block is gone for good (for the moment) so I'm hitting it hard.

Once again, I'd like to think everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, or just plain read my story. I hope you enjoyed it, and that it made you laugh, cry, and feel….stuff. For all of my Scarf-Clad-Impatient-Ones, it's been a pleasure meeting with you, and I hope you won't leave me, but instead Follow me and keep an eye out for more stories!

Also, keep an eye out for the prequel to Caeli et Inferno, called "Lapsae Avibus" (Soaring Birds), which will be coming out soon!

Until then, here we go!

* * *

O-O-O **2 weeks later **O-O-O

Fulton watched as Father Ettore embraced the red-headed ex-nun tightly, whispering words of encouragement in her ear. As much as Fulton wished for the elderly man to stay, Father Ettore did have duties back at the Vatican. However, he did promise to visit on "diplomatic missions" often. As for Bridgette, she'd taken Fulton's offer to be a Head Officer at Hellsing, training the new recruits and working hand-in-hand with Seras to keep the men in line. She still wasn't the friendliest person, but it was easy to see that the woman was making an effort to be polite to the men who'd held her back in battle. And Fulton had to admit that the soldier's uniform looked much better on her than the habit did.

Fulton waved to the Archbishop until the car was no longer in sight, turning to see the new Head Maid standing kindly in the doorway. After much consideration, Fulton hadn't found a good replacement for Winston, even though he knew no one could replace the missing piece of Hellsing that echoed in the empty hallways now. However, one kind young lady had out-shown all the rest, and under Seras' persuasion she was hired to be the leader of the servants.

Her name was actually Winifred, but after hearing it Seras had immediately dubbed her "Winnie" and to the woman's dismay the name stuck. However Winnie accepted her name with a sigh and did her duties well, and so she was well liked by everyone in the manor even if she wasn't Winston. She'd even adopted Winston's recipes, and found a way to make a "Steak-and-Kidney-Without-the-Steak pie" for Seras and Alucard who readily accepted the meal, although they could only suck the blood out of the gravy.

Fulton had also gained a great deal of maturity seemingly overnight, becoming more of a man than he'd ever made out to be before. Seras seemed to be happy to see him grown up. However, whenever Renfield came to visit, he reverted to an immature twerp as he ran around pulling pranks on all of the soldiers.

* * *

O-O-O **5 years later** O-O-O

Time passed like it always does, the days marching into weeks and months before running into years. Before anyone had thought to take notice, five years had passed. Life had become normal again- the supernatural missions delving into simplicity. However, Fulton always made sure Alucard and Seras never became bored. He'd learned early on that bored midians meant property damage.

To his pleasure, Seras usually managed to keep Alucard busy enough, though not always in the way Fulton wanted. He always shuddered when he'd woken to hear thoughts in his head that he'd never even _wanted_ to hear from both his servant's minds. Shivering in disgust he'd banged his feet against the ground after falling out of bed. _Get out of my mind! I don't want to know when you two get a room! Don't make me stick you in the sun!_ To his chagrin, both vampires just laughed before setting mental barriers up. After a long talk by Fulton the next day, both vampires were thankfully able to keep their….activities….to themselves. Other than that, Seras had finally become a true vampire in her own right, gaining as much power as her master had. She, however, hardly used anything other than phasing and simple tricks. Fulton often wondered what her "Level 0" transformation was, but there was never any need to call for it so he chalked it up to being too powerful for everyday use.

As for Bridgette-she worked perfectly as part of the Hellsing team. It had taken her years to trust anyone, but she'd finally built bridges with the soldiers, and many of them respected her as a maternal figure, guiding her baby birds into battle. She'd even started flirting with Fulton subtly to the point the poor man wondered if she wanted to be an "item" or not. However, when he walked in on her changing in the communal showers one day, she'd not minded one bit. They had stood a bit awkwardly before Bridgette flipped her hair over one shoulder.

"Well?" she'd drawled, and the rest had been history.

* * *

O-O-O **5 years later **O-O-O

31-year-old Fulton Abraham Hellsing thought back to the famed "shower incident" that transpired 5 years ago. Smiling to himself, he sat back and looked at the two babies his red-haired wife held in her arms. Bridgette looked in awe at the twins, who were both awake and alert even after being born just hours earlier. Winnie had already cooed over them and now it was evening and Seras was taking her turn admiring the "little darlings". Fulton turned to Alucard, who was standing next to the window.

"Bridgette and I sort of wanted you to name them. I mean, it would mean a lot to us if you would, being their godparents and all." Seras squealed happily, looking down at the boy, which stared back with Bridgette's dark brown eyes and a tiny crop of brown hair. She cocked her head, standing up.

"Wen." She said, pointing to the boy. Fulton raised an eyebrow. Seras smiled softly. "Short for Winston," she murmured. Fulton and Bridgette both nodded their assent, and Seras turned to address her companion. "You name the girl, Vlad." Fulton almost snorted, ten years not being nearly enough to hear Seras call Alucard anything other than "Master". Besides that, she was the only one allowed to ever call him by his real name. _Alucard_ was supposed to suffice for the rest of the population.

There was a brief struggle when Alucard wanted to dub the child Seras, to which the real Seras insisted that having two Seras' running around would be very confusing. Alucard considered this before nodding and throwing "Integra", which Fulton immediately agreed to as he looked at the fair hair his daughter had inherited, although her eyes were brown as well.

"Wen and Tegra" he said happily, looking at Bridgette, who shook her head at the strange names Hellsings seemed to find themselves stuck with.

* * *

O-O-O **18 years later** O-O-O

49-year-old Fulton Abraham Hellsing stood at the head of the ball next to his lovely wife. His hair was graying and several lines were prominent on his face, but everyone there agreed that the man's gentle spirit and young heart made him seem much more youthful than he really was. His wife was the most beautiful woman in the land, her age only making her lovelier. Their two children were well liked wherever they went.

Alucard and Seras were in attendance, although they mingled with the guests rather than stand at attention. Renfield was there, being a staple at almost all the Hellsing parties. He was well liked by all the young ladies at the party, and was always surrounded by a crowd of perfumed, hopeful young women. This was the first time that Father Ettore wasn't in attendance, after he'd died peacefully in his office. The new Archbishop was still quite busy getting used to his job, but promised to attend the next ball. Fulton grabbed a microphone and tapped it self-consciously, smiling at the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. This ball, held in celebration of my children's 18th birthday, is also a day where I make an important announcement. As you know, only one Hellsing child can carry on the torch that I, as well as heirs long before me, have carried. It wasn't an easy decision for me, but I chose the easiest way possible. Integra, Winston?"

The young woman and man joined their parents onstage. The woman had short blond hair and glasses, while the man had his father's light brown-blonde hair and a small beard. They both waited expectantly.

"I have chosen…you, Integra. You were the firstborn, even if only by a minute. I expect you to carry yourself with dignity and responsibility, as your mother and I have taught you. You, Winston; your job is to help your sister in any way you can. I'm sure you both will be wonderful." The audience gave a roaring round of applause as Integra stepped forward to say a few words. Fulton looked over the crowd to meet Seras' eyes. She nodded in approval, and for once all felt right with the world.

* * *

O-O-O **50 years later **O-O-O

Tegra had done very well for herself, and Wen had stood by his sister through thick and thin. Fulton couldn't have been more proud of his children.

_But now, the 99-year-old Fulton Hellsing was on his deathbed. His wife was sitting serenely by his side, shedding no tear although her heart was breaking. Fulton opened his eyes wearily to see Renfield, Seras, and Alucard by the window. They hadn't aged a day, of course, and all three stared at him with mixed expressions of longing and sorrow. His own two children were standing over him, crying. He wanted to tell them not to cry, but he realized that they were actually smiling instead. His darling Integra was grinning, light playing off her blue eyes….but that wasn't right, because his daughter had __**brown**__ eyes. But here they were, blue as the sky. And Winston was on the other side, but he must have shaved his beard because it was gone and he looked older. Something pulled at the back of Fulton's mind, but he was just too tired to remember what it was. _

_He stared at the strange transformation that had overcome his children when he realized there were other people there too. Did Brig let them in? Maybe they were friends of Seras'….there was a man that looked like him, in his younger years. He was standing by a pretty lady with a brown ponytail. They were all smiling down at him; even his own parents were at the foot of his bed, standing next to a young-looking Father Ettore. He smiled back, happy to see the old bugger again before he looked up to see a man with his hand on Integra's shoulder. He was about to accost the young lad for touching his daughter when he gazed into his own green eyes, bright behind spectacles; and he realized that these people were dead already. That was Alexander Anderson, and Enoch, and Abby, and Integra and Ettore and Winston and…._

_He stared at them all, feeling strangely peaceful. He wasn't tired anymore; in fact, he felt like he was 21-years-old again, vibrant and full of energy. He saw Integra smile, and she reached a hand out to him. He took it, feeling the people around him lift him up out of his old tired body and into the joy and light. _

**THE END**

* * *

**Afterword**: So, what'd you think? Did it end the way it should?

Don't forget to keep an eye out for the prequel, which covers Integra's death to "Enoch's incident". It focuses a lot more on the Vampire Court and Seras/Alucard's interactions.

It was so fun going through this with you guys. Ya'll are the greatest!


	34. Seras' Side-Part I

**A Sheepish Author's Note: Hello, Minions! Er-I mean readers! Have you put away your scarves yet? I hope not! First:**

**EmmiLouisa: Thanks for the awesome review! It made me smile, because I also am bad at ninja reading. It's a habit...But I'm glad you enjoyed the story!  
**

**Now-down to business. I know this story is finished and the prequel is well underway, but I wanted to do a few plot points from Seras' POV. So, I did. Here's part I. Hope you like!**

* * *

_I am awake. _

That's literally the first thought that runs through my head. The second thought is that something warm and delicious is currently stepping on my face. Tentatively, I lick the object and get fear-laced blood. It's delicious; virgin and young. I almost moaned in satisfaction before opening my eyes. A young man stared back at me, his face full of terror. He began to let out an unearthly scream, but I am too busy trying to get a good bite on what I could see was a child's ankle. I gave a quick nip, getting another mouthful of blood before letting the limb go. I stood up as the leg retreated, stretching my bones. _I am hungry. I am sore. How long was I enchanted?_

I look over at a whimpering mass of young child. It turns out to be a nerdy, snot-nosed boy who looks at me with big green eyes. Those eyes fill me with a hate I'd only felt from Ma-_Master_. My heart clenched painfully, but the burden of my bonds burned slightly on my hands, reminding me of my "orders". I wanted nothing more than to murder this child; a thought that made me stare at him in curiosity, even though I was starving. The boy let out another cry and pulled himself tighter. Perhaps he felt the wrath radiating off of my skin? Suddenly, the boy pointed over my shoulder.

"HEYLADY-WATCHIT!" he screamed, his childish lisp almost comical. I felt a dull pressure in my shoulder, and turned to gaze at my attacker. His zit-covered face shown with a fine sheen of sweat. I rotated my shoulder, feeling the deepness of the gash that he'd made. I wanted to draw out his pain-to let out some of the emotional turmoil I was in, but-damn it all to hell! I'm _hungry_!

"So you want to play, huh? I'm kind of hungry; I'm not in the mood to play with my food. Sorry." I heard myself sounding hoarse. I must have been locked away for at least 50 years or more… I decided to do the math later, my stomach gathering all the attention away from my brain. I felt my arm dissipate and grabbed the boy's arm, the knife falling from his grip. I ripped it off easily, ignoring his cry as I drowned myself in his blood. I saw the images-he'd been chosen to kill the "brat" and become the Hellsing heir. I hummed internally at this information, a plan forming at the back of my mind.

I just might end up having a little fun in my un-life, after all.

* * *

Not the best blood I'd ever had, but I was famished enough to even lick some off the walls like a crazed animal. After I finished my feast, I looked around to see the child; fainted dead away under the horror of what he'd seen, no doubt. I cracked my knuckles, striding across the small space to him. I was all prepared to kill him, when I happened to get a good look as I picked him up. With the thick frames, it was hard to see the features underneath. I lifted them carefully to look at him. It was quite astounding how much he looked like Enoch. Perhaps he was his son, and I hadn't slept long after all?

I sat down on a crate, carefully scraping his wrist and taking just enough blood to get the boy's history. Scenes flashed by like cars on a highway. I managed to ascertain that he was the son of one Michael Hellsing and Trish Hellsing, the former of which was a descendant of…_Gabe_. I frowned as I understood that Hellsing was a shadow of its former self from the boy's memories.

My plan changed-I would rebuild Sir Integra's dream using the boy, and then I'd kill him! He was a bit too much like his great-grandfather to be allowed to live. Why would I wait until he locked me away just like his ancestor did? I decided to give him twelve years. After that time, he'd feel the pain I felt as his most _trusted_ guide killed him and drank every last drop of blood in his filthy body. I almost laughed from the beauty of it all. Revenge was sweet-no wonder Master loved it so!

I felt him beginning to wake, and began my ruse. Singing an old lullaby I learned somewhere, I rubbed his hair softly and crooned the words. He woke slowly, rubbing into my hand like a little kitten. He moaned something unintelligible before he gagged, pushing away from me. I let him fall into the bloody mess on the ground, watching in amusement as he woke and saw the nightmare firsthand. He began to heave, his body frozen before he took off down the stairs like a shot. Feeling rather playful now that I was full, I leisurely followed.

It took all of a few minutes to pinpoint his heartbeat in the office. Silently I phased into the room, listening to his almost-silent breathing under the desk. Suddenly his voice echoed in my thoughts, the old Hellsing bond coming alive again as I accepted my old role as a little pet.

_Why didn't it just eat me and be done with it? Maybe it was full. Maybe it was going to save me for a midnight snack. Maybe-_ I almost laughed at the panicked thoughts of my quarry.

"Maybe blood tastes better when it's full of adrenaline?" I did let out a hysterical giggle when a shrill scream and a bang revealed my little master's hiding place. However, the time for games was over. I reached under and picked him up, putting him in the chair. The large chair made him look miniscule, adding more to his childish charm. I was actually _considering _him to be cute.

Too bad he was already the walking dead.

* * *

Pitiful, what happens when blood is tainted and diminished over time. Sir Integra would scoff at such weak offspring coming from her proud bloodline. Well, once proud. I sniffed and set the boy in his bed, angered that his mind couldn't take such a simple punishment. Really, it hadn't been that harsh at all!

_I will simply have to teach him to handle such things_, I thought with a mental sigh. I wasn't lying about the bath, though. It took record time, but I was cleaned and in my coffin. However, I couldn't sleep a wink. I kept turning Enoch's last words over in my mind. I had a clear memory of that nightmare in my head; a horror that made Millennium feel like child's play to me. Maybe it was because it was a bit more personal than Nazis flying a blimp into London. That was Master's battle.

I didn't want to think about it. I wanted to think about it. I didn't know-I wanted my Master; I could _feel _his blood calling from the basement, even as dormant as it was. Gods be damned, Hellsings be damned. I was going to wake Master. I tried to phase into the room, landing outside the basement door instead. _Eh, I'm out of practice. _

It wasn't two steps before the headaches started. I was in terrible pain, and immediately backed out of the room. Shaking my head, I saw the spells lining the ceiling, walls, and floors. I knew how to get them to go away, but I needed the heir to do that.

"_Shitfuck!"_ I swore aloud, knowing that I'd now be forced to hear Master's blood calling me eternally, unable to get to him unless some monster arises that I couldn't deal with. I felt like sobbing. My heart broke more, feeling the hopelessness finally catching up with me from generations ago. I ran, phasing out of the house and flying as fast as I could to the one person I _knew_ would still be waiting around; a happy memory of the better times.

I hit the ground at a dead run, pounding on the arched door the minute I reached it and screeching for all I was worth. My heart soared when he opened the door-he'd not changed at all. He opened his mouth to say something, but I tackled him as my tears finally burst forth. I kissed him all over his face, amazed that even with so much hatred in my soul, I still had room for the platonic love I held for him.

"Kitten? How did you-what-" he stuttered as I clutched him, my head against his chest in a parody of all those years ago. "_I thought I'd lost you forever_," he finally groaned with conviction, holding me back as tightly as I held him. Sniffling, I reached up and removed his glasses, now splattered with my blood tears.

_"Renfield." _

* * *

**Afterword:**_ Part II coming soon!  
_


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